Soldiers beat man for having white MDC employer

By Violet Gonda
11 April 2007

On Tuesday a Mutare man, Paul Sherini, was allegedly assaulted by soldiers for having a white opposition employer. Sherini works as a general hand at Crest Distributors, a major supplier of poultry, eggs and fish in Manicaland. The business is owned by Brian James, the Tsvangirai-MDC provincial treasurer. James was one of the opposition officials arrested together with Peter Michael Hitschmann, MDC MP Giles Mutsekwa and others last year, on allegations of plotting to kill Robert Mugabe. Although the state later dropped the charges against James and others, Hitschmann remains in police custody.

At least 600 people have been hospitalised in the last month, as the government continues its violent campaign against opponents. Pishai Muchauraya, the party’s Manicaland spokesperson, confirmed the latest attack. He said Sherini was assaulted by uniformed soldiers; “The main reason being that he works for an MDC executive member and that he is working for a white man.”

Muchauraya added: “ In actual fact Paul Shereni was not the main target. They were targeting Brian James and we know they are looking for all those white people and all those senior MDC officials to either exterminate them physically or to use any other intimidation methods.”

A shaken Sherini told us he sustained a broken arm as a result of the beatings. He said the soldiers beat him on the buttocks and all over his body. He said he was targeted as he was walking with colleagues in Penhalonga just outside Mutare, when the soldiers saw him carrying his work uniform. He said they then pounced on him accusing him of working for ‘mabhunu,’ a derogatory term to describe white people.

Meanwhile, the state controlled Herald newspaper reported that Peter Michael Hitschmann’s bid to gain his freedom failed at the High Court after his application for bail was thrown out. Hitschmann was arrested last year after an arms cache was allegedly found at his home in Mutare. The state is accusing him of attempting to assassinate Mugabe. He has been denied bail several times and his trial is now expected to resume in July during the second term of the High Court circuit for Mutare.