« Prev Page    Next Page »

Cases of Political Violence (Cont'd)

MASHONALAND WEST

Chegutu

September 2002

• Stephen Nyikadzino, MDC secretary for Chitungwiza, claims that he had just arrived in Chegutu from Harare when some Zanu PF supporters started assaulting him and confiscated the MDC nomination papers that he had. The victim also alleges that nine of the MDC candidates ran away and that they would probably not register anymore in the rural district and council elections because of fear for their lives. The victim had gone to Chegutu to assist MDC candidate in registering for the nation-wide polls scheduled for 28 and 29 September 2002.

5 September 2002

• About two hundred unidentified Zanu PF supporters reportedly besieged the Chegutu rural district council offices, assaulted an MDC official and detained Hilda Mafudze, the MDC MP for Mhondoro. The offices were the nomination courts for the rural district and council elections held in September 2002. The victim alleges that the youths chased away eight of their eleven candidates and it was not certain whether they would be courageous enough to return to register. Mafudze claims that she had come to make sure that all the MDC candidates were registered but when she arrived, Zanu PF youths assaulted MDC members. She complained that at that moment, she could not drive out of the yard as she has locked herself in the car. These assaults are allegedly taking place under the eyes of the police. Phillip Chiyangwa, the Zanu PF chairman for Mashonaland West province and Nathan Shamuyarira, the party's spokesman, said they were attending meetings on the date of the report and therefore could not be reached for comment. 

9 September 2002

• At Wicklow Farm in Selous, it has been reported that police and army officers forced farm owners to leave their premises temporarily for 'security reasons'. The police, army officers, and the CIO agents gave the farmers 24-hours notice to vacate the farms. Prominent faces of war vetarans who had spearheaded the farm invasions since 2000 have reportedly suddenly disappeared from the scene, being replaced by military personnel. lt has been alleged that although firearms have been used in the past, this has become more dominant making the farming community suspect that there has been a change in the personalities commanding the land seizures.

Hurungwe East

September 2002

• Cochraine, a farmer in Karoi, was approached by a group of about sixty to seventy suspected army personnel at his farm. The victim alleges that the army personnel tried to evict him from his farm, and the three who were armed with automatic shotguns intimidated and threatened him. The victim could not identify the assailants by name. Residents in the area have reported that war veterans have been replaced by well-known military personnel, who are now said to be behind the latest wave of ultimatums and evictions taking place in Mashonaland West, East and Central.

6 September 2002

• AB and two of his colleagues at Nill Farm in Tengwe were reportedly assaulted by war veterans on allegations of continuously working for the employer when the farm was acquired by the government under Section 8, and with the farmer not having paid farm workers their terminal benefits. AB's workmates invited the war veterans to assault him and his work colleagues. War veterans arrived at around 1400hrs that day and ordered the disgruntled farm workers to beat up the victim and his accomplices. The victim and his friends fled from the area on 24 September, as there were rumours that the war veterans were coming for them again.

18 September 2002

• At about 1400hrs at Meidon Farm a group of war veterans and settlers approached GW and accused him of supporting the MDC and the white farmer whom he worked for as a general hand. They reportedly assaulted him with sticks and open hands.

20 September 2002

• At about 0300hrs war veterans came to Meidon Farm in Karoi and allegedly stoned the house in which AC was sleeping, injuring him on the forearm. He alleges that the assailants wanted to beat him up because he was continuing with his duties on the farm. AC was cut on the neck by wires as he tried to flee from the assailants. He went to the farmer's residence for help but his assailants followed him again. The victim managed to escape and he hurt his left ankle in the process.

Hurungwe West

21 September 2002

• It has been reported that Nikoniari Chabvamudeve, an MDC member, was axed to death in the Chivende Communal area by suspected Zanu PF supporters as the violence in the run up to the 28-29 September rural district and council elections flaired. Chabvemudeve was reportedly brutally murdered by youths suspected to have been deployed by Zanu supporters to drum up support for its candidate. The youths were moving around in three pick up vehicles. However, the police spokesman, Wayne Bvudzijena, says that investigations have shown that the victim died in clashes over gold panning rights.

Makonde

7 September 2002

• Peter George Viljoen and his family were locked up in their farmhouse at Tevrede Farm in Mhangura in the afternoon. The victim alleged that he had been served with an eviction order, paid all his one hundred employees and was loading his truck so that he could leave when Major Mboweni who ordered him to leave all his personal belongings behind approached him. It has been reported that the victim made a report to Inspector Magwenzi of Mhangura police, but he has done nothing about the situation so far. The victim's son, Dirk, a cricketer for the Zimbabwean national team, was also locked up in the house together with his girlfriend, the victim's sister and brother-in-law. His son Dirk failed to attend a cricket match that he had scheduled for that afternoon. The fresh wave of evictions saw about two commercial farmers being ordered to leave their farms in Mashonland East and West. The victim pointed out that although he had been issued with section 8 order, the courts had overruled this, making the forced evictions illegal.

Zvimba North

4 September 2002

• The owner of Meme Estates in Banket was forced to flee his farmhouse when war veterans, two Libyans and one Major Murombedzi, armed with a rifle approached him and forced him to leave the premises.

MASVINGO

Chivi North

22 September 2002

• A group of about one hundred and twenty Zanu PF youths arrived at Elson Zvidza’s home in Hapazari Village, under Chief Makonese, singing anti MDC songs. They allegedly threatened to beat him up for standing as an MDC candidate in the rural district elections held in September 2002. It is alleged that there were many reports on Zanu PF supporters beating up MDC supporters in the area as the dates for the rural and council elections drew nearer.

26 September 2002

• Charity Vimbainashe Zvidza, the daughter of Elson Zvidza, MDC's candidate for Ward 13 in Chivi North in the September rural and district council elections, and her brothers Aleck, Nyasha, Wellington, and nephew Adonis fled when a group of more than fifty Zanu PF youths wielding sticks and clubs advanced on their homestead around 10am. The youths reportedly surrounded their homestead, singing and shouting slogans and using strong abusive language denouncing Zvidza and his wife as puppets. The five victims only returned when the youths were away attending a party for Chikati Ruimbe, the Zanu PF candidate for the ward in the Council elections in Takawarasha Township. The incident was reported to Constable Makaya at Chivi Police Station. On a follow up the next day, no one answered the phone at the police station.

Gutu North

18 September 2002

• Chief Rogers Nyamanda Masunda was allegedly humiliated infront of his subjects. He was grabbed and dragged outside the hall and put in a disused cell while eighty-five Headmen watched from a distance. He had his traditional headgear taken from him, symbolically stripping him of his powers. Masunda, a war veteran and chief's son, said his father was being victimised because he was related to the MDC candidate for Gutu Ward 11, Getrude Bora. By the time the report was taken, Gutu District Administrator, Felix Chikovo was still negotiating with the youths to return the chief's headdress. It was also alleged that Zanu PF youths were harassing, torturing and intimidating innocent civilians in Gutu North Constituency, accusing them of supporting the opposition MDC, ahead of the rural council and district elections.

Masvingo North

29 September 2002

• About twenty- three families invaded former Zanu PF MP Albert Chamwadoro’s farm near Mashava and reportedly went on a rampage driving out livestock in the face of their imminent eviction from the property, which they have allegedly been occupying illegally. The resettled farmers threatened to destroy the farmhouse after they were served with a High Court Order to vacate the property. The illegal settlers uprooted fences and threatened to mete out instant justice to Chamwadoro if he set foot on their property. The drum beating invaders, led by one Stephen Zibako, said they were settled on the farm by Masvingo Governer, Josiah Hungwe, and would only move out if they got the directive from him, not from the High Court. Hungwe was however not available to comment on the issue. Chamwadoro is the owner of the farm and he alleges that it is the only farm that he has. The High Court order for the invaders to vacate the farm by 31 September 2002 is still valid. Chadamwoyo bought the farm, Lot 1 of Allavale Farm, from the Shabani Mashava Mines in 1999.

Zaka West

4 September 2002

• Michael Chitsama and Johannes Chongore were severely assaulted by suspected Zanu PF youths while they were waiting for transport to take them home soon after the nomination court. Chitsama was allegedly robbed of $20 000 meant for the funding of a number of MDC candidates in the area. The Zanu PF youths, armed with sticks and iron bars, were chanting anti-MDC slogans. However, fourteen MDC candidates were disqualified from the nomination court after they were allegedly misled by the officials from the registrar's office to bring wrong birth certificates. However, the Human Rights Forum could not find a provision in the Urban Councils Act for a specific type of birth certificate ideal for registration in the elections. Police in Zaka confirmed the incident but refused to give details.

Zaka East/ West

10 September 2002

• While conducting a workshop on social and economic issues at Ferry Training Center, a truck reported to be written, Zanu PF- DDC (ZAKA) came to the venue where TM was conducting the workshop, ending it prematurely. One Edmore Munjanja was at the venue of the meeting when the truck pulled up and he took the victim with some resource materials including leaflets, to Jerera Growth Point police post. Hazvidi, a war veteran, interrogated her and accused her of being an MDC puppet working for NCA and Zimrights. She was threatened with death and was told that she was to be taken to a river where people were given "re-education". About twenty war veterans were invited to watch the "re-education" and the victim was forced to sign an agreement that she was kidnapped but was treated nicely, with no abuses. Ernest Zvirevo, a ZRP officer at Jerera, is said to have witnessed the signing of the agreement. She was then "escorted" by war veterans and was forced to buy drinks and to give Hazvidihope and Edmore $1 000. The case was reported at Masvingo Police Station.

MATABELELAND NORTH

Binga

6 September 2002

• Zanu PF supporters and ‘war veterans’ have reportedly caused the closure of seventy primary and secondary schools in Binga District, ordering more than seventy thousand teachers to attend a rural district and council election campaign rally on 8 September 2002. Headmasters and teachers in Binga district were forced to close down schools and attend a rally addressed by the Matebeleland North Zanu PF chairman Jacob Madenda. Notes were sent to the headmasters warning them to identify teachers who would not attend the meeting to be held in Binga. It has been reported that Binga is an MDC stronghold. Duncan Sinamampande, the district education officer, confirmed that there would be a rally held by Zanu PF in the area but refused to confirm whether the schools had been closed. Binga MP Joel Gabhuza confirmed that teachers were not going to school. Gibson Sibanda, the MDC vice-president said, in addition to legal means of disqualifying the opposition candidates, there was a lot of intimidation of potential candidates before the nomination court. He said that this showed that the ruling Zanu PF wanted to retain power "by hook or by crook". This happened as the MDC's legal committee met to decide to take legal action against the Registrar General's office for alleged improper handling of the nomination court, which sat on 5 September 2002

Bubi-Umguza

September 2002

• At the Umguza rural district offices in Bulawayo, riot police were called in after Zanu PF supporters forced the closure of the offices. Obert Mpofu, the Governer for Matebeleland North Province, who lost the Bubi Umguza parliamentary constituency to Jacob Thabane of the MDC, intervened in the dispute and overrode the decision of the constituency registrar to extend the nomination court sitting.

25 September 2002

• The former Zanu PF chairman for Bubi Umguza, Leonard Mhlanga, who defected to the opposition MDC in June, was barred from contesting the September 2002 local government elections. Mhlanga used to be the Zanu PF Chairman for Bubi Umguza for ten years before he deflected to the MDC, citing poor policies and the misrule by President Robert Mugabe and his party. Mhlanga had hoped for the councillorship for Bubi Umguza on the opposition ticket. He alleges that the nomination court had refused to accept his nomination papers on the grounds that his parents were of Malawian origin. He further alleged that the nomination court ruled that because his parents were of Malawian origin, then he was Malawian too. However, Mhlanga said that he is not Malawian, but he is Zimbabwean. The victim believes that the ruling party is only afraid of meeting a former Zanu PF official in the race.

Nkayi

September 2002

• Fourteen MDC candidates were disqualified after the nomination court closed before they could present their papers. Abednico Bhebhe, the MP for the area, alleged that some of the candidates were disqualified because they allegedly did not have the proper birth certificates.

Tsholotsho

September 2002

• War veterans prevented Mloliki Sibanda, MDC legislator for Tsholotsho, from attending a ceremony to donate a borehole to the community there by an NGO. The war veterans and the Zanu PF militia threw him out of the gathering and said that he should never attend their functions in his constituency, let alone campaign for his party in the council elections that were to be held on 28 and 29 September 2002. War veterans allegedly refused to grant MDC supporters permission to campaign in Tsholotsho for the forthcoming elections.

« Prev Page    Next Page »

Back to contents page for monthly reports

TOP