ZIMBABWE HUMAN RIGHTS NGO FORUM

The month of May was overshadowed by “Operation Murambatsvina”^¹ or “Operation Restore Order” as the Government embarked on an operation to clear the country of illegal settlements and regularize informal trading in urban areas, leading to more than 700 000^² people being internally displaced. This operation was said by Government to be a cleaning up process but it left many people homeless and many more without a source of income. The massive show of force by the Army and Police and the indifference to human suffering exhibited during the operation were castigated by civil society organizations and the UN Secretary General, Koffi Anan. Despite the recommendations by the UN that this operation stop immediately, the Government responded informally through the media by discrediting the UN Special Envoy, Anna Tibaijuka, who came to evaluate the operation, calling her a puppet of the British government and further castigating the UN as an organization.^³ The Human Rights Forum notes that before the envoy came and indeed when she arrived the Government of Zimbabwe did not raise objections to her participation in evaluating the operation. The Forum urges the Government to deal with the issues raised rather than attack the personality of the UN Special Envoy.

A disturbing phenomenon in May was the MDC intra-party political violence. In this debacle, many youths were reported to have been assaulted at Harvest House for allegedly not supporting the current MDC Secretary General, Professor Welshman Ncube, while in Kuwadzana a lady was allegedly assaulted for supporting him. The Human Rights Forum urges the parties in the MDC conflict to exercise their freedom to disagree without being disagreeable. Tolerance of differing opinions is a crucial aspect of democracy and any violent obstruction of the right to dissent cannot be condoned.

In Mount Darwin South constituency, there were widespread reports of political victimization and displacement of MDC supporters by ZANU-PF supporters. The reports are that the MP for Mount Darwin South, Honourable Saviour Kasukuwere, urged his supporters during his celebration rallies, to rid the area of MDC filth. In the process, many Zimbabwe Election Support Network (ZESN) election observers in the March 2005 Parliamentary Elections were targeted and displaced from their places of residence. The Forum condemns such irresponsible conduct from a highly esteemed MP and urges all politicians to encourage a culture of not only tolerance but respect for the rights of others. In Marondera East Constituency, a war veteran, Godwin Ganda, was murdered in unclear circumstances, which are suspected to be politically motivated. The Human Rights Forum utterly deplores this murder which is reminiscent of the murder of Cain Nkala, another war veteran, whose murderers strangled him with a shoe lace. The Forum further urges the police to investigate and bring to book the perpetrators of such gruesome acts.

The cumulative graph should be read along with the table depicting the monthly totals of violations from 1 January 2005 to 31 May 2005. The total quantifiable number of victims reported in May 2005 is 356.

AIPPA – Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act UMP – Uzumba Maramba Pfungwe

CIO – Central Intelligence Organisation ZANU PF – Zimbabwe African National Union Patriotic Front ZCTU – Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions

MP – Member of Parliament ZNLWVA – Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association ZPS – Zimbabwe Prison Service

NCA – National Constitutional Assembly ZIMTA – Zimbabwe Teachers Association

OVT – Organised Violence and Torture ZUPCO – Zimbabwe United Passenger Company

Sources: The information contained in this report is derived from statements made to the Public Interest Unit of the Zimbabwe Human Rights Forum, statements taken by a network of human rights activists and newspaper reports,

Notes to the tables:

All cases of torture fall under the definition of torture according to the general definition given in the United Nations Convention against Torture and Other Forms of Cruel, Inhuman and Degrading Treatment and Punishment.

Those individuals referred to in point # 4 include the ZRP, ZNA, ZPS and the ZNLWVA (as a reserve force of the ZNA) and by any other grouping when directly sanctioned by the state.

Arrest by the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) with no reasonable suspicion that an offence has been committed. Detention thereafter for a period exceeding 48 hours without access to redress through the courts or subsequent release without charge.

A kidnapping by a member(s) of an organised group that is not the ZRP, political party, ZNLWVA, ZNA, MDC, Zanu PF etc

Kidnapped persons whose whereabouts remained unknown at the time of reporting. Their whereabouts have still to be ascertained through follow up reports or further investigation.

These are incidents in which property rights have been violated. This includes arson, property damage and destruction and theft.

Note: The identities of victims whose names have not been published in the press and are not public officials are protected. This is done in order to protect the victim from further violence, intimidation and possible recriminatory attacks.

The purpose of this report is to record the nature of the politically motivated violence and intimidation that continues to prevail in the country. The Monthly Political Violence Reports are primarily based on victims’ accounts, accompanied by medical evidence where possible, obtained from member organisations of the Human Rights Forum and other partner organisations. Use is also made of press reports on politically motivated violence. The Monthly Political Violence Report cannot therefore be considered as the exhaustive record of all incidents of politically-motivated violence in Zimbabwe in the period under review. Nevertheless, every incident reported to the Human Rights Forum directly or through its members is meticulously documented and included in the reports. Care is also taken to record the incidents in the language in which they were reported to the Forum.

The situation prevailing in the country is such that it has not been possible to verify all of these accounts. The Human Rights Forum has done what it can to verify the reports, and is satisfied that the vast majority of them are substantially true. It is also not possible to rule out whether a victim’s account is exaggerated or contains inaccuracies.

On the day of the incident at around 22:30 hrs, some police details reportedly arrived at the male victim’s home demanding to see him. The landlord answered the door and the victim told his landlord to tell the police that he was away but the police tried to force open the victim’s bedroom door. The victim was afraid to open the door but later realized that for everyone’s sake he had to confront them. When he opened the door, he was allegedly assaulted with fists and booted feet in front of his family on the accusation of delaying the course of justice. Two of the police details continued to assault him as he was forced into their truck. He was then taken to Glen Norah Police Station where he was put into the cells until the following day. The following day the same police details took him from Glen Norah Police Station and drove him around Budiriro and Glen Norah to show them where MDC activists stayed, as they wanted to round them up. The victim told them he did not know anyone. In the process he claims that he was assaulted again. Finally, he was taken to Harare Central Police Station where he was ordered to pay Z$25 000-00 admission of guilt fine and he was released the same day.

∑. Two juveniles under the age of 17 are reported to have assaulted Theresa Chivanga for wearing a ZANU-PF t -shirt. The 2 youths reportedly approached the woman at her home and demanded that she takes off the t-shirt. Theresa also alleges that the youths ordered her to desert ZANU-PF and join the MDC. It is alleged that one of the youths assaulted the victim with a stick on her left rib and she fell down. She was rescued by a police officer.

∑. Looting of basic commodities, reminiscent of the 1998 food riots, reportedly rocked the high density areas of Glen View leaving a trail of destruction as angry mobs vandalised property and barricaded roads. This arose when police forcibly removed vendors from undesignated public places during the demolition of so called illegal structures. After the police left, people went on a rampage and destroyed property. The main artery leading into the 2 suburbs, Willowvale Road, was barricaded by boulders and vehicle wreckages. Robots at the intersection of Willowvale and High Glen roads were not spared either. At Tichagarika Shopping Centre, looters are said to have broken into OK Supermarket and made off with an assortment of groceries. In Glen View, incensed crowds apparently attempted to torch the local council offices after downing the fence and shattered windows. The community hall and a nearby TelOne station were also stoned. Security personnel at the council offices had to fire warning shots to disperse the menacing crowds. In Budiriro, a service station was destroyed and looters grabbed whatever foodstuffs they could lay their hands on.

∑. Police reportedly raided the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) head office in Harare in search of evidence of foreign currency transactions as the state tightens its grip on the operations of civic and labour organisations. Eighteen plain-clothes officers from the Police Fraud Squad allegedly went through files in the organisation’s accounts department, the informal sector as well as health and safety departments, before leaving with loads of files carted away for the purposes of investigations. In the process, the police took things like cheque books which the ZCTU report they need for the day-to-day running of the office.

∑. Reports are that armed police swooped on flea markets around Harare Central Business District confiscating goods running into millions of dollars and assaulting people in the process during “Operation Murambatsvina”. The police reportedly went around indiscriminately assaulting market operators and passers by. One trader reported that the police pointed a gun at him and ordered him to carry his goods into the police truck.

On the date of the incident around 17:00 hrs, an MDC male victim claims that he was assaulted by his fellow MDC youth who were numbering about 40. They allegedly assaulted him using fists and booted feet. He tried to defend himself but reportedly fell. He however managed to escape to Chinhoyi driving one of the cars that was retrieved from individuals who allegedly abuse MDC party vehicles. On 25 May 2005 he was reportedly arrested at around 01:45 hrs as he was accused of car theft and kidnapping. He was taken to Mbare Police Station and then to Harare Central Police Station where he stayed for two days in the cells during which time he was allegedly assaulted by the police. He then went to court on 6 May 2005 and was remanded on a Z$700 000-00 bail. In the same incident, another male MDC youth was allegedly assaulted by Bulawayo Province youth members on the accusation that he did not support the current MDC Secretary General, Professor Welshman Ncube. He alleges that he tried to run away but the youths pulled out guns and he stopped. He claims he was assaulted using sticks, fists, booted feet and an iron bar all over his body including the head. His leg was broken and he reportedly lost consciousness which he regained when he was in hospital.

A male victim alleges that on the date in question at around 15:00 hrs about 2000 ZANU-PF supporters came to the MDC offices at Harvest House and shook the entrance gate to the offices until it opened. They reportedly gained access to the offices where the victim was hiding with colleagues. He alleges that the ZANU-PF supporters gained entrance to the first floor while some of them waited outside. It is claimed that they threw stones and bottles at the victim. He was allegedly hit on the head and the knee with a bottle. He further reports that riot police came and dispersed the ZANU-PF supporters.

On 22 May 2005 at around 22:00 hrs, the victim, a male student activist, went out of his flat to the Fife Avenue shops to buy cigarettes. As he got into Josiah Chinamano Avenue, he reports that he noticed a Police Vehicle parked at the corner of Josiah Chinamano Avenue and Sixth Street. When he walked past it, the vehicle reportedly followed him and as soon as he reached Fife Avenue, a couple of officers jumped out of the vehicle holding batons. The victim immediately ran into a Lodge whose gates were open. The officers allegedly pursued him, indiscriminately assaulting everyone in the Lodge. The victim reports that he went out using the back door but he hurt his hand when he tried to jump over a durawall which had spikes. He however succeeded in jumping over the wall. He made his way home through a number of dark alley ways.

The male victim reports that on the date of the incident, on his way to Highfield he saw a Mazda 323 vehicle, which he had seen earlier following him. At Chinyaradzo Children’s Home the Mazda made a u-turn, while he got into a commuter omnibus. Near Gwanzura Stadium, a blue Nissan Sunny came and asked the driver of the commuter omnibus to stop. The Mazda returned and about 4 people dropped off. The victim told the driver that these people wanted to kidnap him thus he drove off and a chase ensued. The victim reportedly jumped out of the moving commuter omnibus and he heard a loud noise, which he thought was a gun shot coming from the people who were in the Nissan. The victim jumped over a durawall into Mukayi High School. The Nissan went on following him along the durawall while the Mazda waited by the gate.

At the gate a gun was allegedly pointed at him by one of the assailants and he was thus caught. He claims that he was assaulted using fists and he threw his camera and cell phone into the crowd. He was reportedly assaulted with the butt of a gun as he refused to get into the car holding onto the tree but the perpetrators started pulling his testicles and twisting his arms. He was allegedly assaulted with the butt of a gun again and he lost consciousness. The Headmaster of Mukayi was reportedly asked to accompany him. He was taken to Harare Central Police Station where there were 9 more men and one War Veteran, who had one arm, who allegedly assaulted the client claiming that the MDC was responsible for the loss of his other arm. While the victim was lying on the floor, all 9 took turns to assault him for about half an hour, even though he was already bleeding. The victim was then asked to sign papers to which he refused. He was taken to the toilet to wash after which the assault allegedly continued.

The victim was then forced to sign some papers but was told to write 11 April as the date. At around 3:30 hrs, he was reportedly taken to his house to have a bath and to allow his wife to wash his clothes. After the bath the CIO operatives reportedly called him to the car and told him that he was being released on the condition that he does not go to Amani Trust or any journalists and he does not go to the Police Station later on that day without a lawyer. He was then asked to produce a letter confirming that he was in Mount Darwin on 11 April. The victim claims that he was told that If he did not comply, his wife would be fired from her government job, his family would be in trouble and they would kill him. At around 8:00 hrs he went back to Harare Central Police Station to show them the letter, which they said was fine. He was told he can go for treatment. The CIO then took down all the numbers in the victim’s cellphone and told him that if he tells anyone what happened they would deal with him.

On the date in question at around 19:00 hrs, a female victim claims that about 20 MDC supporters came to her house. They allegedly demanded Z$30 Million, which they claimed was given to the victim by Professor Welshman Ncube, the MDC Secretary General, for an anti-Tsvangirai campaign. She told them that she knew nothing about it. She was accused of being Welshman’s prostitute and allegedly assaulted with booted feet, fists and open hands. One of the perpetrators known to her reportedly twisted her arm which was still painful at the time of examination by a doctor.

∑. Police and residents of Chitungwiza, including children, were engaged in running battles at Huruyadzo Shopping Centre, resulting in the stoning of a Zimbabwe United Passenger Company (ZUPCO) bus and a supermarket in Chitungwiza when police were demolishing tuck shops and confiscating goods from vendors. Reports noted that some police details sustained injuries when they faced a barrage of missiles from the defiant residents.

∑. It is reported that hundreds of angry residents from Mabvuku and Tafara besieged Mabvuku District Council offices demanding an immediate solution to the water woes facing the two high density suburbs. For almost two months residents in the two suburbs have gone without water, posing a high security risk to them.

The placard - wielding demonstrators who were chanting protest songs against the poor administration in the Harare City Council, also demanded an immediate audience with the Minister of Local Government, Public Works and Urban Development, Ignatius Chombo. The police however are said to have descended on the demonstrators arresting 11 people.

On the date in question, a female victim was among the people who assembled at the municipal offices seeking clarification on hikes of rates. The riot police reportedly descended on them accusing them of participating in an unlawful gathering. They were forced to disperse and people started singing political songs in protest while they were running away. The victim sought refuge in a certain household but the police came after her and she was arrested. She was allegedly assaulted with batons on the back, buttocks and thighs. She claims that when they got to the police station she was put in a small room where she was made to lie on her stomach and was again assaulted with batons by police officers taking turns whilst two of them pinned her down with booted feet. She paid $200 000 bail before being remanded to 1 August 2005.

On the day of the incident a male victim and others were playing a game of draughts at Zengeza 4 shops, which the victim won. Resentful of this, one youth is reported to have condemned the victim for putting on an MDC t-shirt and for supporting the MDC. The victim reportedly went home but at around 20:00 hrs 3 ZANU-PF supporters knocked on his door. When he opened the door, he was allegedly assaulted on the mouth by a blow from a fist and one of his front teeth was loosened. When he tried to escape, he reportedly fell and injured his right second finger. The assailants ran away when the victim called for help.

The male victim from Headlands reports being harassed and intimidated by ZANU-PF supporters who have forced him to flee his home for supporting the MDC. His whole family has since fled their home and are now living in Harare.

A male victim, who is a nurse by profession, claims that he had heard rumours that there were some people who were looking for him who could be members of the CIO. On 1 May 2005, he went to Ruwange shops where he was greeted by name by one of the shopkeepers and was warned to leave the area as soon as he could as there were 3 CIO men who were said to be looking for him. The CIO members reportedly tried to shut him inside the shop but he managed to escape. On the same day at around 19:15 hrs, the victim was on duty when members of the CIO approached him and asked him to report at Rochdale CIO offices in Nyanga. As he was afraid, he reported the matter to the police who told him that they could not assist him in any way since the CIO office was a higher authority than the police.

He then went to the District Nursing Officer’s office to notify his employers since he is a civil servant. The Administrator then phoned the CIO office to enquire about the incident but was given 5 minutes to hand him over to the CIO. When they got to the CIO offices, the victim was allegedly forced inside and slapped in the face. He was made to lie down on his stomach and was allegedly assaulted with sjamboks all over his body and under his feet. He reports that he was forced to roll on the lawn and to do painful exercises such as frog jumping. At one time the victim claims that he was threatened that they would douse him with petrol and set him on fire. He was accused of having called the President and the CIO dogs, which he claims he never did. He was also accused of being an MDC member and they asked him to give them names of other MDC members, which he believes they already had. He was allegedly abused from about 11:00 hrs to about 13:00 hrs. The following day the victim went back to Nyanga Hospital where a medical doctor attended to him. He feels he is being followed and he can no longer go back to his work place.

After the March 2005 General Elections, there have been allegations that ZANU-PF supporters went around noting the names of those people who had been Zimbabwe Election Support Network (ZESN) observers in the area. They allegedly threatened to deal with them as soon as the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) observers had left. The ZANU-PF MP for Mt Darwin South, Saviour Kasukuwere, started having his celebration rallies where he urged all his supporters to engage in a clean up exercise to rid the area of MDC supporters. On the day in question, ZANU-PF youths led by the ZANU-PF Provincial Youth Chairperson, allegedly chased a male victim and other fellow villagers from the area saying they were MDC supporters. The victim currently has no place to call home. Eight other victims who had been ZESN election observers in the March 2005 Parliamentary elections, 7 males and one female, fled their homes on the same day, in fear, upon hearing that ZESN election observers were being targeted for assault, intimidation and displacement by ZANU-PF youths.

In the same incident as above, a female victim was chased away from Mount Darwin South for being a ZESN observer in the March 2005 Parliamentary elections. The ZANU-PF Youth Chairperson allegedly led youths to confiscate her ZESN t-shirt and some of her property before ordering her to leave the area.

Another male victim who was a ZESN observer in the March Parliamentary elections was allegedly victimised by ZANU PF members who accused him of being an MDC member. The ZANU PF supporters reportedly went to the victim’s parents and told them that they wanted to discipline their son in front of the whole village for supporting MDC. The supporters went on to hold a meeting at Nyamazizi Primary School where they took down names of all the ZESN Observers. The victim reports that he fled before they came for him.

It is reported that around 11:00 hrs 3 men, whom a female victim suspected to be CIO officers, posed as Christian Care officers and asked her 8-year-old son where she was. He told them where she had gone. When they got to the dam where she was washing clothes, they still posed as Christian Care officers offering help to the widows and orphans. The 3 women whom she was with had their names and dependants written down. When her turn came she gave the officers her name but she was allegedly slapped 4 times in the face with open hands and she fell down. They accused her of being a sell out, member of the MDC and a prostitute. She claims that she was kicked with booted feet in the lower abdomen and lower back. She bled for 4 days. It is reported that she fainted for about 30 minutes and her distant cousin was also slapped across the face with an open hand for associating with her.

∑. ZANU-PF supporters including Siphelile Zhakata, Petros Derera , Mary Manziyatunya , Letwin Sefast, Francisca Makanza, William Hondu, reportedly went to Domboshava Training Centre singing revolutionary songs and chanting ruling party slogans and demanded the immediate dismissal of suspected MDC supporters employed at the Centre. The ZANU-PF supporters demanded to see the workers who supported MDC at the Centre whom they later forced to remove their overalls before telling them that they were no longer employees of the Centre. They then allegedly handed the overalls, which the suspected MDC supporters had removed, to the caretaker and then submitted a list of names of ZANU-PF youths whom they said should be employed by the training Centre. Before leaving the Centre, the ZANU-PF supporters allegedly threatened one Matsenhura with bodily harm if he failed to take heed of their demands. Among the victims was one Steven Macheza.

∑. Juru police reportedly displaced some families from their homes at Chabwino Farm in the Enterprise area of Goromonzi because they wanted to occupy the houses built for the former farm workers by the former farm owner, Peter Howson. It is alleged that the police, together with members of the neighbourhood watch driving in a police vehicle, assaulted people at the farm, including Agnes Nyamukara and Anderson Willard. In one incident a man was reportedly assaulted whilst in handcuffs. Edward Bhakiri, one of the victims, reported that the police threatened to come back and “deal" with him. At least five families of former farm foremen and drivers were allegedly ordered out of the houses in an operation led by the officer-in-charge of Juru police, an Inspector Masamba and one Charungu, a member of the neighbourhood watch. Reports are that a police base has since been established in one of the rooms where a former “top employee" was forced out. Among the officers manning the station was one identified as Constable Mazarura.

∑. Reports are that a Marondera war veteran, Godwin Ganda, was found dead near his farm in a suspected murder case. Ganda is believed to have spearheaded the first farm occupation in the country which was initiated by the late Chief Svosve in the Marondera area in 1998. Ganda was said to be going to make funeral arrangements for a deceased when he was murdered. Passers-by found him lying dead by the road-side with a shoe lace tied around his neck and with both hands bound by a string. The body had also been smeared with Vaseline for unknown reasons. The war veteran’s elder brother, Spare, is reported to have said his brother called on several occasions telling him that his life was in danger from “political rivals" and that he was always under surveillance by unknown people. The deceased’s brother alleged that the threats on Godwin Ganda’s life became pronounced in the run up to the ZANU-PF Parliamentary primary elections and persisted thereafter. On a number of occasions, the deceased reportedly received text messages on his cellphone from an unknown number saying that he would not last beyond this year.

∑. ZANU-PF youths from Mahusekwa reportedly besieged 2 schools in Chihota, Marondera District, and chased away 9 teachers, accusing them of backing the MDC. Eight of the 9 teachers who fled said they would not return to the schools alleging that their lives were in danger. Mashonaland East Provincial Education Director in the Ministry of Education, Sport and Culture is said to have confirmed that 7 of the teachers have since been redeployed to schools in Murehwa, Seke and Marondera.

Three male MDC activists claim that they had just met at Mutoko centre, when they were forced by 7 soldiers into an army truck. One of the victims had earlier been allegedly assaulted by the same soldiers until he lost consciousness only to regain it after water was poured on him. After this assault, he went to alert his colleague that the soldiers were looking for them, which is when the 3 were apprehended. They were allegedly assaulted in the process on the accusation that they had initially assaulted the soldiers’ boss at Makaha. The soldiers reportedly drove off onto Harare road and then turned into Nyadiri Road, which is about 6km from Mutoko Centre. While they were being driven, the victims allege that they were being assaulted indiscriminately on the head with fists, head butted and kicked with booted feet. When they reached their destination they were reportedly forced off the truck and ordered to lie down on their stomachs and they were allegedly assaulted on the back and buttocks. The assailants then drove off after a while and the 3 were left there. Another MDC female activist was also approached in connection with the assault on the soldiers’ boss. The boss reportedly explained to the soldiers that he had not seen her and the soldiers left her alone. She however later confronted the soldiers on having falsely reported that she was involved upon which they allegedly assaulted her and threatened her with death. It is reported that the 7 soldiers have been arrested following this incident.

∑. The newly appointed Deputy Minister of Information and Publicity and MP for Ngezi Constiuency Bright Matonga, was reported to have invaded the 4 000ha Chigwell Estate belonging to Tom Beattie in Chegutu. It is reported that Matonga already has a 670ha farm, Mupandaguta, in Banket which he was allocated at the height of the land redistribution exercise. Beattie’s property was reportedly violently removed from the house by suspected ZANU-PF supporters while 2 men guarded the house so that the owners would not get in. Matonga, who has been frequenting the farm was said to be accompanied by police officers.

∑. It is reported that at least 300 villagers from Silathsani area in Filabusi were arrested on 20 May 2005 for demanding that their Chief address them on Government’s food relief plans in light of the current drought. Four villagers are said to have gone to seek audience with the Chief on the matter of food relief but were reportedly arrested for bothering him. The other 300 apparently went and turned themselves in as an act of solidarity with their 4 represenatatives. The local Chief reportedly told the villagers to go and get the food from the MDC. The MP for Insiza Andrew Langa is from ZANU-PF.

∑. Two senior members of ZANU-PF, Masvingo South MP Walter Mzembi and losing candidate for Masvingo Central, Shylet Uyoyo were reportedly involved in a scuffle at a post-mortem for the recently held mayoral election. Uyoyo who lost in the ZANU-PF primaries, belongs to a faction headed by the Minister of Higher and Tertiary Education, Stan Mudenge. Alois Chaimiti of the MDC retained the mayoral seat unopposed after the ruling party candidate, Patson Muzvidziwa, failed to produce a valid GCE Ordinary Level Certificate with five passes. It is alleged that Mzembi blamed Mudenge’s group for the party’s failure. In turn, Uyoyo allegedly accused Mzembi’s faction of links with the opposition MDC. Infuriated by the remarks, Mzembi is said to have grabbed her by the collar. The two then started pushing and shoving each other until they were restrained by ZANU-PF security officials at the meeting.

The male victim was allegedly assaulted by ZANU-PF Kaguvi Training Centre students for wearing an MDC T-shirt. He was assaulted using booted feet, clinched fists and chains.

Full alphabetical list of reported deaths related to political violence 1 January 2005 to 30 April 2005 recorded indicating name, political affiliation, date of death, constituency and province.

The table below and the graphs on page 3 above depict the number of violations committed on the persons whose circumstances are described in the report. One individual may have been subject to many violations and thus appear under several categories of violations.

Monthly totals of human rights violations from 1 January 2005 to 31 May 2005

Zambia

Mozambique

The Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum (also known as the “Human Rights Forum”) is a coalition comprising 17 member organisations. It has been in existence since January 1998 when non-Governmental organisations working in the field of human rights joined together to provide legal and psychosocial assistance to the victims of the Food Riots of January 1998.

The Human Rights Forum has now expanded its objectives to assist victims of organised violence, using the following definition:

“Organised violence” means the inter-human infliction of significant avoidable pain and suffering by an organised group according to a declared or implied strategy and/or system of ideas and attitudes. It comprises any violent action, which is unacceptable by general human standards, and relates to the victims’ mental and physical well-being.”

The Human Rights Forum operates a Research and Documentation Unit and offers legal services through the Public Interest Unit of the Legal Resources Foundation (formerly the Legal Unit of the ZHRF.)

The Human Rights Forum can be contacted through any member organisation or through:

Address: 8^th Floor Bluebridge North, Eastgate, Harare; Telephone: 250511 - Fax: 250494

The International Liaison Office,56- 64 Leonard Street London EC 2A 4JX– email: IntLO@hrforumzim.com

1 Murambatsvina is a shona word for reject the dirt or more precisely get rid of the filth or human excrement.

2 This number was given by the UN in its report on the operation. The operation is also the subject of many reports by CHRA, ZLHR, Solidarity Peace Trust among others. Also see the report by the Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum entitled “Order out of chaos or chaos out of order”

3 President Robert Gabriel Mugabe took the opportunity to denounce the UN report and its findings in China when he went looking for foreign currency to alleviate the current economic crisis. He further implied that the operation would continue even though the Government had assured the UN Special Envoy that the operation was being finalised before she left the country on her tour of duty.

4 The 97 torture cases in brackets relate to the WOZA women who held a vigil in Harare’s Africa Unity Square on the night of the 2005 Parliamentary Election on 31 March 2005 (see March 2005 Report). It was only established after the publication of the March 2005 Report, after expert advise from medical practitioners , that the level of the assaults was sufficiently severe to constitute torture. Accordingly the 97 are included in the statistics of torture as well as assault since they were also assaulted in the process.

SURNAME	FIRST NAME (S)	POLITICAL AFFILIATION	DATE OF DEATH	CONSTITUENCY	PROVINCE
chimbandi	gift	ZANU PF	3 march 2005	mazowe east	Masonaland central
ganda	godwin	zanu-pf	2 may 2005	marondera east	mashonaland east
mofat	ebrahim	mdc	28 april 2005	hurungwe east	mashonaland west
muchacha	febby	unknown	13 april 2005	marondera west	mashonaland east

	MAIN EVENTS 2005
January	-WOZA women arrested and detained unlawfully as they demonstrate against hikes in school fees. -The newly appointed woman Vice President holds celebrations throughout the country and in Bindura, press reported that people are forced to attend the celebration. -ZANU PF youths reportedly move from door to door forcing Epworth residents to register as voters and to vote for ZANU PF
February	-Political violence and victimization surrounds campaigns and preparations for the 31 March 2005 Parliamentary elections. -WOZA members demonstrate on 12 February in Bulawayo to commemorate Valentine’s Day under the theme “the power of love will conquer the love of power”. -Police reportedly disrupt an MDC training session of Parliamentary candidates in the March 31 Parliamentary elections and MDC supporters on 16 February at Harare Sheraton Hotel. They arrest MDC Director of elections Mr. Ian Makoni. -NCA members are arrested and assaulted by the police after holding a demonstration dubbed “no election without new constitution” on 17 February in Harare.
March	-ZANU PF supporter and war veteran, Gift Chimbandi, is reportedly burnt to death under unclear circumstances. MDC supporters are suspected to have burnt his house leading to his death. -Zimbabwe’s 6^th Parliamentary Election since Independence is held on 31 March 2005. -A WOZA peaceful candle light vigil is disrupted by riot police and the women are reportedly badly assaulted and arrested. The vigil was held at Africa Unity Square in Harare to safeguard the March 31 vote from manipulation. -MDC activists throughout the country are arrested or assaulted for putting up posters and distributing campaign material and people are victimized for attending MDC rallies by ZANU PF supporters. -MDC Parliamentary candidate for Zvimba North constituency is reportedly victimized for trying to campaign in the area.
April	-Febby Muchacha a 70 year old woman living at Kimcote Farm in Beatrice is reportedly raped and murdered when a gang of 5 attacks the resettled farmers around 3:00 hrs on 13 April 2005 -Ebrahim Mofat is reportedly murdered by ZANU-PF activists in Hurungwe East on 28 April 2005. -MDC supporters demonstrate against the election results on 4 April 2005 in Harare. -Widespread post-election retributive displacements and post-election victimization is reported. -Independence celebrations are held on 18 April 2005 marking what the Government termed the ‘silver jubilee” of Independence
May	Operation Murambatsvina, officially announced on 19 May 2005 by the Chairperson of the Commission running Harare, Sekesai Makwavarara, leaves many people homeless and closes down informal traders. ZCTU offices are raided by police Fraud Section as the police search for illegal forex transactions in what many think was a clamp down on civil society. MDC is involved in violent intra-party political squabbles. War veteran Godwin Ganda is murdered on 2 May 2005 in what is suspected to be political victimisation. Post-election political victimisation and displacement is rampant in Mount Darwin South Constituency.

	January	February	March	April	May	Total
Assault	17	54	259	59	34	423
Abduction/kidnapping	2	3	6	2	3	16
Attempted murder	0	0	0	0	0	0
Death threats	1	0	1	3	2	7
Disappearance	0	0	0	0	0	0
Displacement	17	1	3	55	27	103
Freedom of expression/ass/mvt	31	57	268	112	349	817
Murder	0	0	1	2	1	4
Political Discrim/vict/intim	31	49	128	113	41	362
Property related	0	0	0	18	2	20
Rape	0	0	0	4	0	4
School closure	0	0	0	0	0	0
Torture	1	5	1 (97)^⁴	16	7	127
Unlawful arrest	8	63	86	16	315	488
Unlawful detention	8	63	57	15	315	458

OVERVIEW

Notes to the tables:

\

MAIN EVENTS 2005

January

February

March

April

May

The table below and the graphs on page 3 above depict the number of violations committed on the persons whose circumstances are described in the report. One individual may have been subject to many violations and thus appear under several categories of violations.

Monthly totals of human rights violations from 1 January 2005 to 31 May 2005

Zambia

Mozambique

Botswana

South Africa