Zimbabwean authorities embark on witch-hunt for Bennett supporters in Manicaland

By Violet Gonda
08 May 2006

It seems the Zimbabwean authorities will not rest where Roy Bennett is concerned. After releasing him from jail last year he was this year implicated in a plot to assassinate Robert Mugabe. Fearing for his life and after spending 6 years under constant harassment and intimidation by the government and state sponsored thugs the former commercial farmer and Member of Parliament for Chimanimani finally fled the country to seek asylum in South Africa, last month.

Undeterred and despite widespread coverage in and around Zimbabwe that Bennett is in South Africa, Zimbabwean authorities are reported to have embarked on a witch-hunt for people perceived to be linked to Bennett in Manicaland province.

Pishai Muchauraya the provincial spokesman for the Tsvangirai MDC in Manicaland said armed police officers with sniffer dogs raided the home of provincial chairman Godfrey Mubatso in Zimunya township, just outside Mutare, on Saturday. The police officers led by an Inspector Mavhenyengu from Mutare Rural Police are reported to have also dug trenches in the opposition official’s garden looking for arms of war, but found none. They had no search warrant.

Inspector Mavhenyengu denied these allegations when we called him for comment. Instead he said the police had gone to Mubatso’s home to investigate alleged stolen property.

However, Muchauraya said Mubatso is being victimised for being linked to the former opposition MP. He said, “Mubatso was Roy Bennett’s deputy before Roy was elected treasurer general of our party. And when these people (police) went to his place they started asking questions; Do you know Roy Bennett? Has he ever visited this place and how many times? - and a lot of such silly questions pertaining to Roy Bennett.”

Several people in Chimanimani are said to have also been interrogated recently. Muchauraya said Vhaisai Munjoma and Fabion Musukutwa, the brothers of Chief Mutambara, were visited by state agents who wanted to know the whereabouts of Bennett. The two had last month received a beast on behalf of Roy Bennett when he was honoured by the MDC provincial leadership at a rally in Mutare on April 22 nd.

The information officer reported that Chief Mutambara himself was, last Tuesday, forced to address a press conference in the presence of soldiers, CIO and the District Administrator for Chimanimani Smart Chindawande, denouncing the MDC.

Muchauraya said the stage-managed event received front page coverage in the province’s weekly Manica Post newspaper. The Chief is reported to have openly declared his support for the opposition party in the past. According to Muchauraya the Chief was threatened by state agents including the Governor of Manicaland Tinayi Chigudu after they accused him of supporting the MDC and Roy Bennett.

The victimisation has also seen Bennett’s farm workers at the receiving end of state brutality. Scores were left without a job after his farm in Chimanimani was illegally occupied by war veterans, the army and government officials. Several people were murdered at his farm and a number of women were also raped allegedly by Zanu PF sponsored thugs.

The state mouth piece The Herald reported that eight of Bennett’s ex-workers fled to South Africa where they have been denied asylum. The Herald says that this was after the Refugee Status Determination Office in Pretoria said their fears of persecution in Zimbabwe were "not well founded."

We have not been able to get confirmation of this but observers say if this is true then this is yet another example that shows the lack of seriousness with which the South African government takes the Zimbabwe crisis.