Youth militia intimidating voters in door-to-door senate campaign for ZANU-PF

By Tererai Karimakwenda
12 October 2005

Residents in the high-density suburb of Mabvuku and other areas surrounding Harare report that the youth militia have been going door-to-door intimidating them to vote for the ruling party in the upcoming senate poll. Under the guise of voter education, the youth are allegedly asking people for their names and identification numbers, then asking questions about the senate elections with an emphasis on voting for ZANU-PF. Residents say they are being told that the election would solve the food shortages and the forex crisis that has gripped the country.

One woman from Mabvuku told us she was asked if she thought the MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai was doing a good job. She said she was careful to say she does not know as she is busy working and looking after her family. But the woman also told us that other people who provided the wrong answers were physically assaulted then “re-educated”. Our source said this is the youth militia idea of voter education.

The militia are allegedly showing up at all hours of the day or night. Our contact said she has no interest in the senate election and no idea what a senator does. She said even members of parliament are a mystery to her, as the only MP she had ever seen was the MDC’s Timothy Mabhawu. She believes most MP’s do not have time to talk to residents in their constituencies.