15 villagers summoned to chief’s court for attending MDC meeting

By Tererai Karimakwenda
01 November 2006

We received a report from The Zimbabwe Peace Project alleging that fifteen villagers from Konyesai village in Manicaland province have been summoned to the Community Court of Chief Marange, because they attended an MDC campaign meeting. The accused include Selina Mutambara and Lazarus Takabika, both of whom received summons from the Chief’s court dated 11th of October, but referring to a meeting on an unspecified date. The 15 are being charged with attending a meeting in the village without the permission of the village head. Some of them also say that they have been denied grain from the Grain Marketing Board because of their support for the MDC. A hearing was originally set for the 18th of October but was postponed to a later date.

MDC spokesman for Manicaland Pishai Muchauraya said villagers are not required by law to seek permission from any traditional leader before attending a political meeting. But he added that ZANU-PF has been using chiefs and sabhukus as political commissars. In return these village heads are receiving maize, fuel to plough their fields, electricity at their homesteads and other perks courtesy of ZANU-PF.

Pishai said the chiefs were now acting as agents of ZANU-PF just like the notorious youth militia. He said during the rural council elections last weekend some chiefs were seen openly rallying voters to support ZANU-PF candidates in an area called Tanganda. They were even taking notes as to who voted for whom. Pishai said the ruling party’s structures are all but dead in rural Manicaland. And chiefs, soldiers and intelligence agents form the basis of ZANU-PF’s support.

Regarding the incident in Marange, the Zimbabwe Peace Project released a statement which read in part: “The village head’s report to the chief and the subsequent summoning of villagers for a hearing for attending a meeting of their choice is an infringement to one’s freedom of association and assembly especially if consideration is taken of the fact that this was done at a time when the nation was preparing for ward/council elections. Ideally traditional leaders are supposed to be non partisan but some have abused the traditional powers to use them in the political arena.”