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

July 29, 2000

Contents   « Bulawayo

Harare

Violence against opposition party office bearers and supporters

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Case 7: Budiriro
On Monday last [8 May] Zanu PF people came to my workplace and told me to surrender T-shirts and cards and caps. I am an advisor to the MDC youth in the area. They told me they were going to take me to Hunzvi’s surgery. This was around 11.00 am. I gave them all the T-shirts and cards. I didn’t have any caps, but because I didn’t surrender any, they started hitting me with an iron cord. They beat me until I surrendered all the information. I told them about the structure of MDC in Budiriro 4. Then they released me by 7.00 pm. All the time they were beating me with electrical wires. There were about 120 war veterans and Zanu (PF) supporters. They spoke both Shona and Ndebele. Both men and women beat me. They beat me with the kind of electrical cord used by ZESA (the electricity company). They were beating me on my back and some of the women were using bottle tops (metal) to pinch the skin around my groin.

It was the same three men who beat me each time and three ladies. The ladies were using their hands to slap me. There was an officer and a commander in charge. The officer was from Matabeleland, an Ndebele man known as Dube. The other man was an old man, more than 50 years old, a war veteran. He was from Manicaland, but he was just known as the "Commander". There were also some who said they were CIO there, but they didn’t carry a card.

I was telling them names. I told them that the chairman of Budiriro district is Chimedza and I told them where he lives. Then they released me. I was afraid. The police said they have been told not to enter the place. Later on I talked to the CID squad. They said there is nothing they could do for me. I was in a lot of pain and couldn’t work. I still have pains. They are starting to heal. I am back to work doing light duties.   TOP