War vets continue to target homes of election observers

By Tererai Karimakwenda
May 06, 2008

The Zimbabwe Election Support Network (ZESN) report that there is continued targeting of their accredited observers, in Mashonaland Central and Mashonaland East. The attacks were carried out by known ZANU PF supporters and war veterans, who accuse ZESN of working with the MDC to make sure ZANU-PF was defeated in the March 29 elections.

The group said there have been arson attacks on the homes of 5 accredited observers in the past 3 days. Most were at Logan Farm near Shamva. This is the area where ZANU PF supporters, particularly war vets, had been threatening to evict resettled farmers and burn down the homes of those who had observed the election.

A group of war veterans and ZANU PF supporters descended on the home of one ZESN supervisor and torched her hut in broad daylight, destroying her food reserves and furniture. Two other observers’ homes on the same farm were attacked in the same way.

ZESN said in all the incidents the perpetrators are known ZANU- PF activists who have been making such threats since the announcement of election results in April. In each case there has been extensive damage to property and destruction of food stocks. ZESN said the police have been informed of the incidents but they have made no arrests.

In Mutoko and Mudzi North areas, the perpetrators have also been destroying accreditation cards and other identification documents. They are also restricting the movement of people in the area and ordering them to report to their base camps.

State sponsored violence in the Shamva area has been very intense in the last week. This is the area where we reported that over 100 victims of arson attacks have been camping at Shamva Police Station for the last few days.