Elected MDC councillor reports serious harassment in Mutasa district

By Violet Gonda
12 January 2007

The intimidation of opposition officials and their forced exclusion from participating in government continue to be reported in some parts of the country. Opposition councillors in Manicaland province’s Mutasa District are allegedly being excluded from council meetings since getting into office in October last year. The District has 27 councillors and only four are from the MDC. Aaron Taurai Kamhungira, the MDC councillor for Mutasa North constituency told SW Radio Africa the four opposition councillors have not been given their official badges and stamps to show that they are councillors.

He said without these badges it is extremely difficult to work in the District especially when it comes to accessing food from the Grain Marketing Board (GMB). We were not able to get independent confirmation of these reports. But according to Councillor Kamhungira, GMB officials are turning away the four opposition officials because they have no proof of their elected positions. The only people being allowed access to this much-needed food are said to be traditional chiefs and village headmen.

The local District Administrator held a meeting in Mutasa North constituency on the 19th of December and allegedly gave a directive to traditional leaders not to recognise or work with Aaron Kamhungira. The councillor said since he was elected he has only attended 2 council meetings. He said although information is made available to the ZANU PF councillors, he has to walk to the District Offices to find out what is happening.

Meanwhile, the National Executive Council of the Tsvangirai MDC met in Harare on Friday and resolved to raise the stakes in its fight against the autocratic rule of Robert Mugabe.