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

July 29, 2000

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Harare

Violence against opposition party office bearers and supporters

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Case 1: Kambuzuma
I am an MDC official in Kambuzuma. On 28 April I held a meeting at the section 3 shops to arrange for primary elections the next day. After the meeting we went to drink beer. Around 9.00 pm I left for home. On my way I saw a blue 504, a white Sunny and a cream Mazda 626. The owner of the Sunny is CIO [Central Intelligence Organisation]. About 500 metres from the shops, the 626 sped ahead and stopped in front of me. The back passenger stepped out and pointed a gun at me. He slapped me in the face and pushed me into the car. He said we should not hold MDC meetings anywhere. They said: "You think you are clever; you MDC people are now behaving like you are already ruling the country." There were four men in the back of the car and two in the front. One of them I recognise. He is from the President’s office. I recognise him from Kambazuma. I know where he lives. They were also CIO men in the car.

I was forced to sit on the lap of one of them who was sitting in the back. I was sitting in the middle and my arms were outstretched. Each arm was handcuffed and it was held by the two guys sitting on either side of the car. The guy in the front seat was slapping me in the face. The other one was sitting behind me and hitting me at the back. I screamed and a cloth was put in my mouth. The car moved. I was bleeding. They took me to the bush near Willowvale industrial area.

When they parked, the driver didn’t come out, but the others took me out. I was made to lie on my back and one of them was standing on my stomach. Two were holding handcuffs with arms outstretched. One of them took a wire from the car and put it in my anus. Then he put it in my penis as well. I fainted and they left me for dead.

I came round twice, once on the spot, and then I got to the road and a car found me and took me to Kambuzuma police. I came round again at the police station. An ambulance was called. I fainted again and I don’t know how I got to hospital.

At the hospital, they came two times asking for me. The first time they came on the 3rd of the month. One of the guys came to the hospital, when I was in bed. I saw him and I told the sister who was in the ward and she went to call the police, but he went away. The following morning he came and said he was a doctor. He actually came and examined my stomach. I recognised him. My brother was there. Afterwards when the doctor came back the CIO went away. My brother asked the doctor about him and he confirmed he’s not a doctor, saying he thought he must have been a friend of ours. He was wearing a blue T-shirt.  TOP