A Report on Pre-election
Political Violence in Mberengwa
November 17, 2000

Nature of incidents
The total number of victims of political unrest in Mberengwa recorded on the database is 335. The incidents are categorised in the following categories: Death, torture, ill treatment, arrest, detention, property damage, intimidation or threats and other.

Some victims may have experienced incidents that may be placed in two or more of the categories above. For example a person may have been intimidated and detained as the victim describes in Case 3.

At around 8pm an mid May, Patrick Masunda and David Matsheza approached the complainant's homestead demanding MDC membership cards. They hit the complainant on the head with a stool and also harassed his mother before leaving. As they threatened to come back the following day the complainant fled to Gwanda until elections had passed.

Case 2

I was threatened because I was seen socialising with MDC supporters. I was told to surrender all my cards. Zanu (PF) supporters went door to door demanding MDC cards. I tried to avoid being beaten by keeping on the run until elections had passed.

Case 3

All my clothes were destroyed. I was detained for 3 days by Zanu (PF) youths during which time I was starved. I did not sleep instead I was constantly intimidated and threatened with death. The Zanu (PF) youths also made me their cook.

Ages of victims
The ages of affected victims ranges from 10 to 87 thus showing the indiscriminate nature of the violence inflicted on victims.

Case 4

(Victim aged 10)
He was beaten up because his family are MDC supporters. Zanu (PF) youths approached his family on several occasions. His family was threatened into surrendering all MDC material. Pepukai was one of the chief culprits involved in many of the incidents. The victim’s schooling was interrupted due to political disturbances. The threats he received forced him to cut his schooling short for the time being.

Case 5

(Victim aged 78)
Zanu (PF) supporters approached his home at about 1.00 am while he was asleep and broke into his house and beat him up. They did the same to his wife. They broke his sewing machines and door paddocks and stole $5 000. 

Age profile of victims

Gender distribution
There are a greater number of females than males in the Mberengwa area. However composition of victims by gender shows that more males were attacked than females. It is therefore possible to conclude that males were targeted to a greater extent than females. The ratio of male to female victims being 3:2.

Gender profile of victims

Dates of incidents
Incidents of political violence were relatively low throughout the months of March and April with one and six cases recorded respectively [see table below]. A sharp rise in the number of incidents of politically incited violence, intimidation, threats, and property damage occurred in the period closer to elections. Perpetrators perhaps believed that with these incidents fresh in the mind of the victims at the time of going to the polls, the votes they cast would be in favour of the ruling party. One hundred and eleven incidents were reported for the month of May. Pre-election political unrest peaked in the month of June, when elections were held, with two hundred and ten cases reported. This shows the mood and atmosphere in which the elections in Mberengwa were held.

As can also be seen there is a significant decline in the violence after the election. It is difficult to assess whether this was wholly due to the fact that Zanu (PF) won all the seats, or that more than 200 individuals were arrested during the next two months. It is important to note here that the electoral result has been challenged in the courts, and, if successful, will result in by-elections being run in the constituencies in this area. With the release of virtually all the perpetrators under the general amnesty promulgated by President Mugabe, it is possible that extreme violence could return to Mberengwa in the very near future.

Perpetrators
The perpetrators of the violence in the recorded cases are all from or affiliated with the ruling party, Zanu (PF). Some victims identified their perpetrators as belonging to a particular group, for example Zanu (PF) youths or War Veterans but were unable to name an individual amongst those who terrorised them. Cases may exist in which the perpetrators are from the opposition parties and who behaved violently towards members of the ruling party. However, as these were not recorded or reported, it is impossible for any data to be compiled regarding them. Only one case has been reported involving a fight between an MDC member and a member of Zanu (PF) which resulted in the death of the Zanu (PF) member.

Others knew some of their victimisers by name and gave such names. There was a group of well known perpetrators named by several victims, namely, Langton Mangema, Festos Jamela and Clifford Donsa led by Wilson Kufa Chitoro commonly known as ‘Biggie’ Chitoro. He and six other war veterans have since been remanded in custody and charged with the murder of an MDC activist who died in Mberengwa on 9 June. By the end of September more than 200 persons had been arrested and charged with crimes relating to the election period. As can be seen from the table [see section on amnesty below], 96 perpetrators were identified, which means that 31% of the Mberengwa sample knew their persecutors.

Re-education exercises
The members of Zanu (PF) and the war vets who unleashed their reign of terror in Mberengwa undertook what they called ‘re-education camps’ where the victims were forced by being assaulted, or with the threat of impending violence, or through intimidation to sing pro-Zanu (PF) songs and slogans. They were also made to march and denounce their membership to opposition parties.

Letter Mapiye and company met me at Mataga Growth Point and accused me of supporting MDC They forced me to become a Zanu (PF) member and I underwent what they called a 're-education exercise'. They forced me to lie on my stomach and beat me with sticks. They forced me to join their operation and promised to burn my home if I absconded.

Case 7

I was forced to linger around the village during the night, singing for the Zanu (PF) youths.

Case 8

I was forced to cook for Zanu (PF) youths. I was also made to run the whole night from Musume to Mataga being made to sing.

Unwilling tools of intimidation
Supporters of the opposition became tools used by the ruling party to terrorise other opposition members. Unable to find voluntary recruits to assist them in their barbaric exercise, Zanu (PF) members and war vets began to forcefully recruit members of the opposition party. They were made to intimidate and beat up other members of their own party and were at times used as a decoy when trying to gain entry to the homes of supporters of the opposition movement. Unsuspecting victims would open their doors to those they thought were fellow party members whereupon the Zanu (PF) members would take over and either steal or damage property. They would also beat up their victims, beatings in which the unwilling recruits were made to take part.

I was at home in Masaga Village when a group of people came saying, "Let's go to a Zanu (PF) rally". When we got there we were forced to sing Zanu (PF) and Chimurenga songs. We were ordered to go to Mataga and beat MDC supporters. If we failed to do so we were told we would be beaten.

Case 10

We were forced to attend Zanu (PF) rallies at night. We were used as tools to intimidate people to vote for Zanu (PF).

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