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Cases of Political Violence (Cont'd)

MASHONALAND CENTRAL

Bindura

September 2002

• There have been press reports to the effect that Zanu PF officials and CIO agents have subjected some company officials to threats, intimidatory visits at work and home, as well as humiliation before their workforce. The company officials are being forced to sell their shares and their companies at prices way lower than their actual market value. It has also been alleged that the company officials cannot refuse these offers, which are like a fraction of their real market value. Companies, which have been attacked, include an engineering firm, a small chrome expoter, a baking company and a cement manufacturer all in Bindura.

3 September 2002

• Elliot Manyika, the Minister of Youth, Gender, and Employment Creation, Zanu PF Political Commissar and Acting Governor for Mashonaland Central, together with Bindura police officers, twelve Zanu PF supporters and war veterans namely Dickson Mafios, John Muchavepi, Cannan Nyaminhepa, Remigio Matangiro, Timothy Timothy, Joshua Kazaka, Mr. Mazivarimwe, Lot Gora Mataka, Mazivarimwe and Comrade Chitate are alleged to have severely assaulted Keiphas Madzorera on allegations of supporting the MDC. The assailants threatened to kill the victim together with his family if they were to come across them in the area. The victim alleges that he was once stabbed in the chest and chased him away from Bindura by the group. Manyika hit the victim using an iron bar and someone else stabbed his right ear with a knife, injuring him on the eardrum. All the accused, including Manyika, were served with the provisional order papers by a police constable identified as 050782V at Bindura Police Station, after Madzorera won a provincial order barring Manyika and his colleagues from assaulting him. This called on Manyika to show cause why the order barring him from assaulting Madzorera should not be effected by 12 September 2002, when the matter was set down for hearing. By the date of the report, it was not yet clear whether Manyika and the Zanu PF supporters would challenge the order before the return date.

21 September 2002

• Some villagers at Trojan Mine had property worth tens of millions of dollars damaged and looted by a Zanu PF mob. The mob is said to have been angered by the residents' failure to attend a Zanu PF meeting held at the mine's stadium that morning. Eunice Levi, a five months pregnant woman alleges that she was prodded in the stomach by some of the youths, who accused her of faking her pregnancy. They beat her up on the back with sticks while police officers residing next door watched. Levi alleged that one of the assailants was picked up later on by the police. The man was allegedly holding a Zanu PF card in his hand, and he told the police that he was ferried from Mt. Darwin in a district development truck, but refused to say who had ordered them to attack the mine villagers. A three-year-old girl was also assaulted but no reason was given for the assault. Henry Chembiri, the MDC Information and Publicity Secretary for Mashonaland Central, claimed that Elliot Manyika, the Minister of Youth Gender and Employment Creation, was linked to the assaults on Trojan Mine. Other assailants identified were Dickson Mafiosi; Ezekiel Motsi; Eliah Chikamba and Lazarus Miti. The mob, armed with iron bars, slashers, sticks, axe-handles, electric cables and catapults, attacked the residents, injuring hundreds. Places of worship at the Trojan mine were also destroyed, clothes varying amounts of cash and groceries were stolen from the houses. One supermarket in Section 1 of the Trojan Mine was stoned. Most of the victims of the assault were treated at Trojan Mine Hospital, Bindura Hospital and Shashi Private Hospitals.

4 September 2002

• Edward Chikerema, Zanu PF, and Kowerai Hamadziripi of the ZNLWVA are allegedly trying to forcibly take over a $230m Bindura Engineering Firm, Hammond Engineering (Pvt) Ltd, owned by Elaine Hammond and George Hammond, in defiance of a High Court order issued on 4 September 2002. Hamadziripi and Chikerema previously tried to force the Hammonds to sell them the company for only $65m, before Justice Hungwe granted the company a temporary order barring the two war veterans and other farm workers from interfering with the business. Chikerema reportedly led a group of about fifty Zanu PF youths to evict the company's owners, George Hammond and his wife Elaine, who are both in their sixties. Those in the group included Shoeshine Mbata, Godfrey Chanetsa, Kenias Mavura, Benjamin Murape, Tenganai Punzaro and Onias Nhemachena.The mob proceeded to eject Peter Arnold, the company's managing director, from his home. Arnold alleges that he saw Chikerema dropping off Zanu PF youths from a Mazda B1800, which he had stolen from the victim three weeks earlier. The mob told the victims not be seen any where within the vicinity of Mashonaland province, by 5pm that day. They manhandled Arnold and confiscated the keys to his house, car and workshop. The victims alleged that they had reported the case to the police and they said they would see what they could do with the assailants.

Muzarabani

20 September 2002

• The Zanu PF MP for Muzarabani, Nobbie Dzinzi, is alleged to have arrived in the area with five lorries, carrying nearly 300 Zanu PF youths who then beat up the suspected MDC supporters within the Chakaenda Ward of Muzarabani. Several villagers suspected to be MDC were reportedly being held hostage at Chimoio base after they were severely beaten up in front of officials from the Zimbabwe Election Supervisory Network at Gunduza business center. It is also alleged that Solomon Mazarire, Isaac Karimete, Mwaka Katsamwa and Paulos Nhete were admitted at hospitals in Harare after they sustained injuries from these attacks. Elliot Manyika, the acting governer and resident Minister for Mashonaland Central, said that he was not aware of the incident. Dzambara, the MDC spokesman for Muzarabani, said that the political climate in Muzarabani was not conducive to holding free and fair elections.

23 September 2002

• Zanu PF youths descended on the SM's home at around 12 noon and accused her of having reported some of them to the police, leading to their arrest. They also accused the victim of being an MDC election monitor during the council elections held in September 2002. They force-marched the victim to their base in Mushinye, Muzarabani, where they assaulted her under the feet and on the back with a wire and an iron bar while lying in a prone position. At night more Zanu PF supporters were called in and the victim was further assaulted until the following morning. The victim alleged that after the whole day's beatings, she could hardly walk, sit or stand. The following day the other victims were allowed to leave but Mwambadoro could not because of the condition that she was in. The assailants then decided to ferry her home in a scotch-cart. When she got home, she quickly packed her belongings as she had been ordered not to stay at her home ever again. She left for Harare. No report was made to the police. (refer to Case 3 in the photographs document)

25 September 2002

• At around 0100hrs DN heard a knock on the door and orders to come out of the house. He went out and was faced by Zanu PF youths who then ordered him to follow them as they rounded up other MDC supporters in the area. They arrived at the house of another MDC supporter but only the wife was there. She was ordered to watch while the youths assaulted the victim, to serve as a warning to her husband to stop supporting the MDC. The victim was ordered to lie in a prone position and was assaulted thoroughly on the buttocks. On their way to a Zanu FP base the victim escaped but he was met by another group of Zanu PF youths who also assaulted him. He was then forcemarched to their base in Chimoio. The victim was only released on 26 September 2002 but was cautioned not to report to the police or else they would kill him. The victim complied and did not report to the police. (refer to Case 1 in the photographs document)

Shamva

5 September 2002

• It was alleged that there were no nominees for the eighteen wards in Shamva because all the candidates were barred by the Zanu PF youths. On one occasion, Zanu PF youths stoned an MDC vehicle but no reason was given for the attack. The MDC spokesman for Mashonaland Central (a Zanu PF stronghold), Henry Chimbiri, alleged that most of the opposition candidates were barred from filling their nomination papers.

MASHONALAND EAST

Goromonzi

September 2002

• General Constantine Chiwenga, Jocelyn Chiwenga, his wife, and T. Mautsa have been reportedly implicated in the forcible take-over of Chakome Estates in Goromonzi and produce from the farm valued at $125m. They are said to have demanded money for the produce already sold by Chakoma Estates to Farnaby Management Consultants and Hortico, saying Chakoma Estates belonged to them. Chiwenga and his wife have already reportedly received $80m for flowers and vegetables belonging to Shephered Hall Farm. According to the documents in the High court, Mrs Chiwenga spearheaded the siege of the farm, accompanied by armed guards. The trio allegedly used force and threats to grab the farm. Parts of the affidavits by Roger Stauton, a director of Shepherd Hall Farm (Pvt) Ltd, a company operating the Estate, showed that Jocelyn Chiwenga said that she had not tasted white blood since 1980, and that she needed just the slightest excuse to kill somebody. She is alleged to have ordered one of her guards to kill 'the white bastards' and the guard closest to the victim cocked his weapon and pointed it at him in a menacing manner. The Estate grows vegetables and flowers, mainly for export. Justice Matika prohibited Afex Zimbabwe from remitting to Mautsa all funds currently in its possession emanating from the sale of flowers from Shephered Hall Farm by Mautsa, until the court directs the company to disburse the money to such person as it may, after considering evidence, deem to be the lawful beneficiary of the funds. He ordered Mautsa to surrender any money that has been disbursed to him by the company. Afex Zimbabawe is to pay into an account to be approved by the Registrar of the High Court, all funds currently in its possession realised from sales of the produce from the farm. The same order was also granted against the Chiwengas, Mautsa and Hortico, except that they were to disclose the bank statements reflecting the proceeds of exports of the produce to the farmer's lawyer, Constantine Mkinya of Mkinya and Associates.

Marondera West

September 2002

• It has been reported that school children and resettled farmers at Eirene Farm in Chief Svosve's area near Marondera now have to relocate to another area, Mapuranga Farm, after they were served with an eviction order to leave the farm. The children will have to cross a river and some bushes from Mapuranga Farm, about 30km, in order to access the school back in Eirene Farm, as there is no school at Mapuranga. The victims alleged that they had been fooled into believing that they had become the new owners of the farm after they had been resettled under the A1 model three years ago. The victims also alleged that the farm had been, in fact, reserved for Government officials who wanted the farmhouses and farming equipment left by the white farmers. The victims claims that their lives at Mapuranga would be unbearable, as there were no facilities necessary for every day living, such as a grinding mill, which was only at Eirene Farm. One of the victims alleged that the people staying at Mapuranga at that moment drank water from the same dam that animals used. The farmers were resettled at the farm three years ago under the A1 model. Hamish Charters formerly owned the farm.

Mutoko North/South

3 September 2002

• RM, an aspiring MDC councilor who had registered as a candidate in the September 2002 rural district and council elections, was asleep in his house when twelve policemen from Mutoko ZRP came to his homestead and fired gunshots into the air more than eight times. The victim came out and was told that he was under arrest and was taken to the police camp. He was accused of having played a part in the murder of Ali Khan Manjengwa, a Zanu PF activist who was shot in a flat in Mbare. The following day he was taken to Harare Central Police Station, together with the MDC District Chairman, in the guard of CID members who then tortured and detained them to 6 September 2002. They never appeared in court but statements were recorded at Harare Central Police Station. The victim was released on 6 September 2002 around 11am.

11 September 2002

• Chatambarara, Makichi, Mai Kazhanje (nurse), all of whom are war veterans, Ketani (a Zanu PF youth leader) and several other Zanu PF supporters allegedly deflated the wheels of the bus in which TG was travelling in. He was coming from an MDC meeting with other MDC supporters. The assailants called out their names and TG was assaulted with sticks. He managed to flee, but was stoned on the back. He suffered injuries on the back, chest, and sustained a sprained ankle. The case was reported to the police but no arrests have been made as yet.
• FC, MDC District Chairman for Mutoko, was on a Mutoko bound bus coming from an MDC meeting in Harare when he and others were confronted and attacked by Zanu PF supporters and war veterans who demanded to see the victim and two other MDC supporters. He claims that they were dragged out of the bus and assaulted with sticks and sjamboks. Amongst the group was Chatambarara, Hodzi, Makichi (war veterans) and Mai Kazhanje (war veteran and nurse). The victim was assaulted all over the body and he suffered bruises on his body and a cut above the right eye. He passed out and they left him for dead. The case was reported to the police but no arrests have been made as yet. The victim lost some clothing, two pairs of shoes and $10 000 cash.

22 September 2002

• OC had visited his grandparents when he was allegedly abducted by a group of Zanu PF youths at Jembere shop and was interrogated on MDC activities in the area. They took the victim to a nearby river and made him roll in the water then on the bank of a river and then beat him up. Their leader, Hodzi, who came in a truck, forced the victim onto it and beat him on all the joints using empty beer bottles. He was taken to a bush where he was assaulted together with the shop assistant. He was ordered to cover up his eyes and the assailants drove off beating him. They then abandoned him in the bush and removed his shoes and belt. He later found his way home.

Seke

17 September 2002

• At around 1400hrs AM was abducted by war veterans allegedly for being an MDC supporter and for distributing MDC pamphlets and flyers to residents of Danstan Estates. He was assaulted with logs and bricks all over his body and with clenched fists on the face, head and rib cage. He was then taken to their nearby base where he was made to lie in a prone position and then assaulted with an electric cable several times on his buttocks and with pieces of a hose pipe. The victim was assaulted on the left arm and on the shoulder with the butt of a gun. One of the war veterans wanted to cut his throat but then he dunked his head and got cut on the middle finger. Later on around 0900hrs, the police came and they managed to rescue the victim but they did not arrest any one of the assailants.

Uzumba Maramba Pfungwe

15 September 2002

• FM was reportedly assaulted by Zanu PF supporters at his home in Mashambanhaka Chipuriro for daring to stand in Ward 9 in the rural district council elections held on 28 and 29 September 2002 on an MDC ticket. The assailants came to the victim's house at about 2100hrs and accused him of standing for Councillor, therefore embarrassing the Zanu PF MP. The victim now complains of painful eyes and a painful left hand. The victim alleged that he was ordered not to leave the area for treatment.

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