Political violence breaks out in Manicaland

By Lance Guma
01 February 2008

With just 56 days to go before presidential and parliamentary elections political violence has erupted in Manicaland province. Last Sunday 3 MDC activists were assaulted for walking near a business centre where a Zanu PF rally was taking place. Zanu PF youths accused them of spying on their election strategies, despite the ruling party using a busy shopping area to conduct their district coordinating committee meeting. Cadwell, Frank and Justice Chaguma, who are all related, had a beer drink at Marange Business Centre and it was later in the afternoon when they were walking home that the Zanu PF mob attacked them.

The MDC activists fought back and in the skirmish Zanu PF official Clarkson Buwerimwe pulled out a gun. Frank Chaguma immediately disarmed him. According to Pishai Muchauraya, the MDC spokesman in Manicaland, the three brothers took the gun to Marange police post around 7pm that same day. It was at the police station that they were brutally assaulted by police. Two riot police, a neighbourhood watch member and seven other armed security agents are said to have conducted the beatings.

By late Friday the Chiguma brothers (Cadwell and Justice) were still locked up in police custody while Frank is said to have escaped and is currently on the run. The remaining two have been moved to Mutare central police station and have now completed six days in detention, despite police only being allowed to hold suspects for 48 hours. The fallout from the incident has created havoc in Marange. According to MDC youth member Fred Marange, war veterans led by a man called Kadzura are going door to door after midnight and beating up well-known MDC members. They have been accused of abducting Shylet Mubanda and Energy Chaguma, whose whereabouts are now unknown.