Retribution against MDC activists spreads countrywide

By Tichaona Sibanda
15 April 2008

Post-election reprisals against MDC activists have spread to nearly every corner of the country, amid reports that the cycle of attacks and retributions are being orchestarted by security forces.

The violence has escalated dramatically since last week as ruling Zanu-PF party militias, with the help of army units, has intensified it’s reprisal campaign in the rural areas. Areas hardest hit by the violence are Mudzi East, Gutu, Makoni South Masvingo, Karoi, Mutoko, Hwange, and Lupane.

In Gutu district Professor Elphas Mukonoweshuro, the MP for Gutu South said there are army units in each of the constituencies openly brutalizing the electorate. He said the military and political agents of Zanu-PF were beating up people. Gutu in Masvingo province is one of the areas in the country that was once a formidable stronghold for Zanu PF. But in last months’ election four out of the five constituencies were won by the MDC.
Until late last week, tension was high across the country caused by the delays by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission to release results for the presidential vote. Now that tension has turned into government sponsored violence as gangs of youth militias and war veterans, armed with sticks, stones, clubs and knives set alight homes belonging to MDC activists. In one night alone in Makoni South, 500 MDC activists were forced to flee their homes when militias, led by a well known war veteran, moved from house to house indiscriminately beating up people.
Pishai Muchauraya, the MDC MP for the area described the attacks as ‘horrific.’
‘The government is waging a war against defenceless people here in Manicaland. This is serious and I fear it would explode into a full scale attack on all known MDC activists,’ the MP said.
A statement released by the Zimbabwe Association of Doctors for Human Rights said that since the 29th March until now they have treated 157 cases of injury resulting from organised violence and torture. Nine of the victims suffered sustained fractures of both arms and legs.

‘As of midday today April 15th, 30 of these patients remain in hospital. One third of the patients are women, including a 15 year old girl who was abducted with her mother from her home, made to lie on her front and beaten on her buttocks. Her mother, who is pregnant, was similarly beaten. Both mother and daughter required hospital admission,’ the statement said.

In Masvingo, a 300 strong Zanu-PF gang led revenge attacks on communities suspected of supporting the MDC. A headman in Gurajena was attacked by Zanu PF thugs on accusations that he influenced the people in the village to vote for Morgan Tsvangirai.

The gang broke the headman’s door and started beating him and his wife with metal and wooden sticks. Gurajena lost two front teeth and is currently nursing a broken rib. His wife has fractures on both legs.

Gurajena fled into the bush where he spent the whole night, before being evacuated together with his wife and a third person we could not identify by name. The three are receiving treatment in Harare.

The MDC has identified some of the attackers as Wungeni Majani, Navhaya (who contested as a Zanu PF councillor) and wife Claretti, Jetro Chikomo, Vesaimoto Nicholas, a Mrs Sitima and two family members named as Ethel and Aaron.

In Mudzi Mashonaland East, twelve people were critically injured after being beaten up. The 12 were accused of voting for the MDC because they declined to declare themselves handicapped so that they could be assisted in the voting by the ruling party loyalists. Their names were recorded during the elections and they were threatened that they would be dealt with afterwards.