Report on political violence in Bulawayo, Harare, Manicaland, Mashonaland West, Masvingo, Matabeleland North, Matabeleland South and Midlands

July 29, 2000

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Case 32 – Area: Kwekwe
The complainant is a factory assistant who is an MDC campaign manager. He has suffered intimidation and psychological trauma since the rejection of the draft Constitution. He alleges that Zanu (PF) tried to bribe him into leaving MDC. He was then threatened with death and he was told by an army officer who came to his house that a decision had been made to assassinate him.He was advised not to walk alone. After that date he saw a car parked outside his house with two people in it. His neighbours claimed to have seen guns inside the car. His child was asked whether MDC meetings were being held at his house and informed that the house would be burnt.

Sympathetic police officers in the area were transferred therefore the police were too scared to act. He heard that death threats were made against him at a public meeting and the police did not inform him of this. Members of the community at the meeting questioned the death threat so people from outside the community were brought in. The candidate was attacked on his way to work and doused in petrol. There were witnesses to the incident. Four days later at 8.00 pm approximately, three trucks full of people arrived at his doorstep. They entered his home and poured 20 litres of paraffin on his property. All his children were beaten and one of them was doused in petrol. Another child sustained head injuries. The house was petrol bombed and his family went into hiding. Two people were taken to hospital and his wife and children are currently in another part of the country. He cannot maintain his job and he has nowhere to live.  TOP