Villagers forced to attend ZANU PF rallies in Murehwa

By Violet Gonda
07 January 2010

Villagers in parts of Mashonaland East are still being forced to attend ZANU PF rallies, in spite of the new political dispensation that was supposed to usher in freedoms. SW Radio Africa received a report on Thursday from a concerned citizen who witnessed villagers being harassed when he recently visited his family in the Munamba area in Murehwa. Our contact, who prefers to remain anonymous, said war veterans and youth militia were still forcing people to denounce the MDC.

He said at times the militia ‘trick’ the villagers to attend these meetings by saying there will be food handouts but on arrival they find out it’s a political rally, where they are forced to participate.

Our contact said it is clear to people in urban areas that there is now a power sharing government that includes ZANU PF and the MDC formations, but this development is not so clear in many remote areas – a situation that continues to be exploited by the former ruling ZANU PF party.

While there has been a significant decrease in the reports of political violence as a result of the formation of the new government, the youth militia are still running amok in many rural areas.

Three weeks ago 30 villagers were left injured after violent youths, led by war veterans, brutalized them in Ruwangwe in Manicaland province. The ZimDiaspora website said several people had to be hospitalised after they were beaten for refusing to donate their personal belongings, including cash, for the Unity Day Celebrations.