Violence and intimidation mar rural council election build-up

By Lance Guma
12 October 2006

The opposition in Zimbabwe say they continue to bear the brunt of violence and intimidation directed at them by ruling party supporters in the run up to rural district council elections at the end of this month. The political pressure cooker continues to boil over with several incidents reported across the country. In Gokwe and Shamva where the MDC managed to field candidates uncontested, the party alleges their candidates are being hounded out of their areas and continue to live in fear of their lives.

A provincial executive member for the Tsvangirai MDC, Masimba Ruzvidzo, told Newsreel the police and soldiers in Mashonaland East are at the forefront of the beating and harassing of party supporters. In Chivhu soldiers allegedly beat up MDC youths for wearing party t-shirts. He says the soldiers went on to tear up the MDC t-shirts in front of members of the public. In Mudzi West the aspiring candidate for one of the wards, Mazarura Mupangura, had three houses belonging to his homestead torched to the ground. Although no one was injured Ruzvidzo says Mapangura lost all his property.

The Zanu PF Member of Parliament for Mudzi West is allegedly leading the reign of terror and directing party supporters to make the constituency a no-go area for the opposition. Marondera East witnessed police officers beating up two MDC youths who were wearing party t-shirts at a shopping centre. The police accused Carlos Mudzongwa and his friend of stealing fish but Ruzvidzo told us the real motivation was to punish them for wearing MDC regalia. The MDC say they have taken pictures of those assaulted and now await their day in court after filing police reports for each incident. Unconfirmed reports say one policeman has been arrested for the assaults in Marondera East and may appear in court soon.

Village headmen and Chiefs are also being used to threaten opposition supporters. Villagers are being issued with threats that they will starve if they vote for the opposition while some are being told they will be banished from their areas altogether if they insist on supporting the MDC. Asked why the country had realised a period of relative calm in terms of political violence only for things to change over-night, Ruzvidzo likened Zanu PF to a man or woman who had been dumped by their partner. ‘They realise they are no longer loved and think using force will get them their supporters back,’ he said.

Out of about 1000 rural district council seats up for grabs Zanu PF has already won around 400 of them after election officials disqualified opposition candidates from standing.