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Who was responsible?
Perpetrators
of incidents of pre-election violence recorded by the Human Rights Forum
are pre-dominantly from ZNLWVA (Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans
Association) and Zanu (PF). In three incidents, perpetrators were from
the MDC but were unnamed. What follows are excerpts from detailed statements
of human rights violations resultant from incidents of political violence.
The statements narrate the violations committed by specific perpetrators
and correlate with the list of perpetrators. Generally, names of the victims
have not been given to protect the persons involved. Names have only been
provided if the account has been previously published or is part of the
Court record. It has been noted, particularly during the electoral petitions
in the High Court, that victims discovered to be seeking redress or making
reports have become the subjects of additional psychological and physical
torture.
In some cases high
ranking party members of Zanu (PF) are directly involved. In others, they
are named as instigators of violence. Several of those named as perpetrators
are now sitting as MP’s in parliament and never have or never will be
prosecuted for the part they played in brutalizing men, women and children.
There is no longer any doubt that violence was carried out on an organized
basis since much of it was conducted from Zanu (PF) bases established
at strategic points within specific constituencies. Those who headed bases
and were the main perpetrators of violence in certain areas became well
known and are named in numerous incidents. For instance, Norman Josaya
became well known in Karoi and therefore was easily recognized by his
victims, as was Wilson ‘Biggie’ Chitoro in Mberengwa.
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