Report on Election-Related Political Violence in Chikomba

September 19, 2000

Contents

• Introduction
• Violence and the holding of elections
• The current by-election
• Presence of known perpetrators in the constituency
• Parliamentary Election 2000 violence
• Conclusions

5. Parliamentary Election 2000 violence

There was considerable violence reported during the 2000 General Election in Chikomba, and some of the cases are reported below.

MM: Twelve ZANU (PF) youths approached M.M.'s homestead on 7 April 2000. The youths found his wife at home and demanded MDC t-shirts, cards, and a bicycle that he had. They proceeded to his bedroom and confiscated the items. They took $8,000, 20 kgs of sugar, and 20 packs of Matenda. His son came to tell him what happened and when M.M. arrived at his home he asked the ZANU (PF) supporters why they took his things. They replied that they didn't like MDC. One of them kicked him on the left buttock and they left.
On 7 February 2001 he was at a nearby homestead when Tobias Mazaka attacked him on the head and the right arm with an axe. He lost consciousness.

CM: In March 2000 C.M. noticed anomalies at his workplace, and wrote letters to the Board of Trustees. He was threatened by Chenjerai Hunzvi and Mujuru who told him to leave his job or suffer the consequences. He withdrew his letters because he was scared, and then wrote to the MDC that he wanted to join them. He was then told that he was playing with fire and so fled to Dzivarasekwa.
On 2 April about six men in suits approached him, pretending to be ZRP CID who wanted to hear about the anomalies of the local District Development Welfare Office. They bought beer and went with him to his lodgings where he told them all about the issues at work. They then revealed that they were ZANU (PF) supporters and told him that he was a sell-out. They began kicking, slapping, punching, and stabbing him. Something hit him in the head and he started bleeding. He thought he was going to die so he started screaming and ran into the road toward the shopping centre. They caught up with him and hit him, he was verbally abused, and he and his family were threatened. He passed out as something crushed his stomach. Two hours later he woke up and was at ZRP. He was hospitalized for one and 1/2 months.
As a result of the attack, he feels threatened wherever he travels and has heard that the people who assaulted him are still looking for him. He is afraid that another assault would kill him. He has scars on his chest, back, leg, head, and hand. His concentration and memory are impaired, and he experiences palpitations, abdominal pains, pains in his shoulders and arms, numbness in his arms and legs, and has difficulty sleeping.

PC: On 28 April 2000 P.C. was approached by ZANU (PF) youth at Sadza Growth Point. They demanded to know what was written on a t-shirt that he was putting on underneath a sweater. Afraid, he refused, because he thought they knew it was an MDC t-shirt. They started beating him with clenched fists and kicked him until he fell. He gave them the t-shirt and they left him.
In another incident on 13 May 2000, Chenjerai Hunzvi came to Sadza Growth Point to attend a rally. Everyone was forced to attend the rally. He was approached by ZANU (PF) youth and told that Desmond Takawira (Youth Chairman) wanted to see him. He was brought to a house that was under construction and told to lie in a prone position and was beaten with logs. Two friends of his were also brought to the house and beaten. He received a blow to the head and lost consciousness. As a result of the attack, he experiences headache, pains in his legs, and backache. The assailants made threats against him and his family, and he finds it difficult to work, make decisions, and carry out daily activity.

GM: In April 2000, G.M. was in a lorry with other MDC supporters when heard that the MDC MP candidate and other supporters had been beaten. She went home in fear.
Two weeks later a mob of ZANU (PF) supporters came to her home. Three of them twisted both of her arms behind her back and demanded that she hand over her party cards and books. She refused and told them that everything had been sent to Harare. They threatened to beat her. That evening ZANU (PF) supporters returned to her home and destroyed window panes, struck her walls until they cracked, and struck her doors until they were loose on the hinges. However, they could not get in because of the burglar bars. They then destroyed her chicken run, took 24 chickens, nine turkeys, six rabbits, five guinea fowl, kitchen utensils, and groceries. She reported the matter to the police but nothing was done. As a result of the assault, she experiences constant pain in her right hand.

AD: On 24 May 2000 A.D. was attacked by ZANU (PF) supporters of Sadza Growth Point around 9 p.m. He was dragged from a nightclub and hit on the head by a broken bottle. He fainted and woke up the following day in the hospital. As a result of the attack, he experiences very painful headaches.

JM: J.M. was on duty for a bus service carrying members of a church congregation. The bus was stopped by a group of approximately 100 ZANU (PF) supporters. He told them that the bus did not carry any politicians, just worshippers. They shouted, "That's him" and dragged him from the bus and began beating him with slaps, fists, axes and knives. He managed to escape, but received deep wounds on his body.
In May 2000 a group of ZANU (PF) supporters hijacked his employer's bus and used it to ferry ZANU (PF) supporters to meetings. They threatened him and threatened to burn the bus and he lost his job as a result.
In another incident in May, the same people attacked him while he was returning from buying provisions for his brother's funeral. They beat him up, stole his groceries and $1,800. He reported the matter to the police but nothing was done.

EM:  In April 2000, E.M. was at shopping center and had an MDC hat on. The shopkeeper told him to take it off since ZANU (PF) supporters were approaching. They came and took his cap and tore it. They demanded his party card and t-shirt, which he did not have, and searched him, taking his passport and money. They beat him all over the body. They later returned his passport to him.

TM: T.M. was attacked in May 2000 by a group of ZANU (PF) supporters at his home. He was beaten with an iron bar on the left side of the head, knifed in the right arm, and bitten on his left forearm. He thought that they were going to kill him when they tried to carry him to a trailer waiting outside. His wife threw stones at them and they ran away. On 7 May a group of people broke six windowpanes on his house.

VG: V.G. was waiting for transport in June when a Mazda pickup stopped and those inside called to her. One of the occupants recognized her and told the others that she was an MDC coordinator for Chikomba. One of them got out of the truck and said he would beat her because she was a member of the MDC. He slapped her on both ears, and she became disoriented and wet her pants. He continued to beat her and she suffered a wound on her right ear. As a result of the assaults, she experiences severe headaches.

JM: On 10 May 2000 J.M. was walking towards town when she met a war veteran. He asked her if she was sure that she wanted to join politics at her age and if she knew what war was. Later in the day he came to her market stall with three women and threatened that she would "see". After this incident, she heard that he was looking for her at her mother's home so she spent the night with a relative. She heard that they looked for her that night.
The next night ZANU (PF) supporters came to her home and knocked, pretending to be someone else. As soon as she opened the door she was struck on the face and started to bleed. They verbally abused her, and made threats against herself and her family. They threatened her mother and daughter with a knife to stop them screaming. They threatened her mother and destroyed her mother's door. They assaulted J.M. until she lay bleeding and prostrate and she was unconscious until help arrived. She was ill for the next two weeks. The same group returned to her home on 23 May and threatened to harm her if she did not join ZANU (PF). As a result of the attack, she experiences a lot of headaches and dizziness, chest pain, and pains in the shoulders and arms, and experiences nightmares and disturbed sleep.

GR: In May 2000 G.R. was at shopping center drinking beer with friends. Three cars arrived at the shops and the occupants shouted ZANU (PF) slogans. He and his friends did not respond. Someone blew a whistle and G.R. and his friends were suddenly surrounded by people, some with catapults, and others with motorbike chains tied to sticks. One of them fired the catapult and G.R. realized they the assailants were serious. He tried to flee but he was suddenly tripped and then fell. While he was on the ground, the mob beat him with kicks to the ribs and face and struck his leg with a chain. He sustained a cut above the right eye and right shin. He did not seek medical treatment because he feared further attacks. As a result of the assault, he experiences chronic pain in his ribs.

AD: A.D. was beaten with sticks and slaps all over his body at his home in Sadza in May 2000. He ran away, and when he returned, then the same group of people destroyed his home. As a result of his experience, he has lost a lot of weight and is frail. He has problems with abscesses, scars in his mouth and night sweats.

GM:  A group of ZANU (PF) youths and CIO arrived at G.M.'s house in May 2000, demanding minutes and books of the MDC. He was beaten up in the bush with sjamboks, kicked, and asked to sing slogans. The following day, he ran away and was treated at Buhera hospital. He has been threatened. As a result of the attack, he is concerned about his safety and that of his family. He is uncertain about the future and his physical symptoms are problematic. He has scars on his leg, has chronic backache, and his daily work suffers because of pain.

TR: On 22 May 2000 T.R. was leaving the shopping centre at Mushipe Township around 6 p.m. He saw a group of 20 ZANU (PF) supporters who asked him to surrender MDC t-shirts and cards. They took his bicycle and stole $16,900 from him. He tried to run away, but they caught him and beat him all over the body with whips, sticks, and punches. They led him away and as he tried to escape he was hit by a brick on his right knee. He reported the case to an MDC youth leader who urged him to report to the police. He was referred to Sadza Clinic for treatment.
On 20 June 2000 a group of men set his storeroom garage on fire. He managed to save most of the contents in the garage, nuts and a scotch cart. He has received threats that his grinding engine, mill and his homestead will be burnt. He has had to hide these possessions at his father's homestead.
As a result of the two incidents, he is fearful of the situation in Chikomba, and experiences body pains, concentrated in his left shoulder and back.

6. Conclusions

As evidenced by these accounts, there has been sustained organised violence and torture in Chikomba constituency since before the 2000 General Election. The allegations are very serious and involve the former MP, Dr Chenjerai Hitler Hunzvi, members of the Zimbabwe Republic Police, the CIO, "war veterans", and supporters of ZANU (PF). The incidents are continuous from April 2000 to the present, and thus there has been no lengthy period in which there can be said to have been peace or the active restoration of the rule of law. It will be clear from the evidence presented above that the active operation of the rule of law has not been demonstrated in Chikomba, and rather that the law enforcement agencies are demonstrating a partisan position. We have not included the material relating to farm invasions in the constituency and the violence that has frequently accompanied these invasions.

The picture overall does not create any confidence in accepting that elections in Chikomba can be free and fair. The presence of known perpetrators, bolstered both by the Clemency Order and the practical impunity that has followed the amnesty, cannot create any feeling of safety in the minds of victims and their families, and, furthermore, the awareness in the community of such violence will also have a significant effect on the understanding in the community of what fate befalls those not supporting ZANU (PF). It seems evident from the Chikomba case study that any understanding of pre-election violence must require the use of a lengthy time line.

There is a pressing need for action here. The terms of the Abuja Agreement and the assurances given to the SADC Presidents do not seem to be met in this by-election. The Abuja Agreement required the Government of Zimbabwe to demonstrate its adherence to the Harare Declaration and the Millbrook extension, and to demonstrate this through a number of confidence building measures around the "due regard for human rights, rule of law, transparency and democratic principles". There can be no stronger confidence building measure than the removal of violence and the holding of free and fair elections. Post-Abuja it is not acceptable that violence is evident in a by-election, that the candidate receives death threats, and that allegations of torture can be leveled against government officers. As we hope that we have demonstrated in this case study on Chikomba, these current events are not an isolated happening, but are the continuation of the processes that directly to need for the Abuja Agreement and the intervention of the SADC Presidents. Zimbabweans will need considerably more before we can accept that the President and the Government are sincere in respect of Abuja and SADC.
 

Appendix 1

Alleged perpetrators of organised violence and torture in Chikomba during 2000 General Election.
 

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