Organised violence in Mashonaland East has severely restricted the ability of people to exercise their democratic rights, with punishments being meted out by Zanu (PF) supporters on a daily basis. In most constituencies there have been attacks upon members of the opposition party. Three UP candidates and one MDC candidate gave detailed accounts to the Forum of direct attacks upon themselves or their families. Members of UP, ZUD and MDC have all suffered savage beatings, torture and threats. People whose political affiliations are in doubt have also been targeted. The Forum has heard convincing testimony of attacks upon teachers, farm workers, and people belonging to civic groups. Three people, two of whom were active members of opposition parties, have been killed and large numbers of people have been injured, many seriously. Residents of the province are all likely to recognise the truth of the words chanted by Zanu (PF) militia as they attacked UP supporters in Mutoko: "Usatambo neZanu; Zanu chiwororo." [Don’t play with Zanu; Zanu is deadly.]

Just a week before the election and despite the presence in the country of large numbers of international observers, it remains impossible for opposition parties to campaign properly in this area. According to party leader, Mr Tsvangirai, on 14 and 15 June, the MDC were prevented from holding campaign rallies which were to be addressed by him. He said that ruling party militants had kept him from holding a campaign rally in Murehwa and the next day he was prevented from addressing a rally in Mutoko when ruling party militants, many of them armed with clubs and knives, blockaded the town.

Some members of the opposition have alleged that the parliamentary candidate for Marondera East, Sidney Sekeremayi, is the driving force behind the violence directed at the opposition in this province. Sekeremayi is also the Minister of State Security and the head of the Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO), which has been implicated in the violence nationally. When Sekeremayi addressed a Zanu (PF) rally in Marondera on 22 May he issued public warnings to the members of the opposition in the province. He took up the claim made by many Zanu (PF) leaders that teachers are spreading opposition politics in schools and warned them that they should stick to the syllabus. This statement was made in the context of brutality against teachers which has resulted in regular school closures all over Mashonaland East and as such may be interpreted as an implied message of support to the activities of militias who have persecuted teachers for their opposition membership.

Intimidation and violence have resulted in some white commercial farmers and farm workers switching their allegiance to the ruling party. But these people continue to be subjected to intimidation and questioned about whether their forced conversions represent a genuine change of heart. At the rally Sekeremayi commended the white farmers and the farm workers who attended the rally but said he hoped the surrender of the t-shirts showed they really meant that they had left the MDC. "I would want to hope that they are telling the truth and that even their workers are telling the truth. If not, the truth will always come out." He also said: "After the votes we will see who has been cheating us and we will deal with each other", he said. This has been widely construed as a warning that how people vote will not be secret and as carrying with it a threat that violent reprisals will be taken against "converts" who vote against the ruling party.