Who is responsible?
A preliminary analysis of pre-election violence
in Zimbabwe
June 20, 2000

Mashonaland East
Killings
The first person to be killed in this area was a ZRP police officer, Constable Chikwanda. Suspected war veterans killed him in early April after he had taken part in criminal investigations into the beating by war veterans of a Marondera commercial farmer, Mr Kay. The next murder was that of a Macheke commercial farmer, Mr Stevens. Stevens was killed on 17 April. He was forcibly taken from his farm by war veterans and taken to the base of the war veterans in the town of Murewa. He was later taken outside Murewa, badly beaten and then executed by shooting. Stevens was a key organising member of the MDC in his farming area. Five other farmers who attempted to assist Stevens were taken from the Murewa police station, where they had sought sanctuary after being fired upon by war veterans in the town. All were badly assaulted.

On 17 May, Zanu (PF) youths brutally beat Mr Mationa Mashaya and his son to death in Mudzi. Mr Mashaya was a village headman and a United Parties supporter. The youths had swept into the village at midnight. When the young thugs were convinced that Mr Mashaya was dead they told his wife to take his body into the house. They then walked over to the homestead of his eldest son Onias. They dragged him out of his hut and beat him up, broke his hands and left him for dead. He died mid-morning the following day. These murders were part of a terror campaign against supporters of the United Parties in the area.  TOP