MDC begins campaign to name and shame perpetrators of violence

By Tichaona Sibanda
23 March 2010

The MDC-T has said it is supporting the fight for justice for victims of the 2008 election violence and demanding prosecution of people who committed acts of rape, murder and torture.

Four sitting ZANU PF parliamentarians and a losing parliamentary candidate have been named, in the first of a series of forthcoming disclosures by the MDC of perpetrators of political violence during the harmonized elections two years ago.

The MDC insist the perpetrators must face justice. In the three months between the March 29th vote and the June 27th runoff election in 2008, ZANU PF militias, under the guidance of 200 senior army officers, set about battering the MDC.

By election day hundreds of MDC supporters were dead, many more were missing, tens of thousands had been tortured and badly injured and over half a million were homeless. Tsvangirai dropped out of the contest and took refuge in the Dutch Embassy.

In its latest edition on Tuesday of the weekly MDC newletter, The Changing Times, the party said that starting this week it will be publishing names of the perpetrators of the political violence.

‘These people continue to roam the country scot-free,’ the newsletter said, detailing how ZANU PF legislators Herbert Paul Mazikani, Luke Mushore, Newton Kachepa and Bright Matonga were involved in incidents where several MDC activists lost their lives.

Joseph Chinotimba, the losing ZANU PF candidate for Buhera South, is alleged to have raped an MDC activist twice on the 5th May 2008. His car was used 13 days later in an attack on Choukuse Nyoka Mubango, who later died from his injuries.

‘Mazikana Paul Herbert (MP Mbire) led a team of ZANU PF supporters who assaulted Wanzirai Magodo and destroyed his home. Mazikani also led the gang that killed Biggie Zhuwawo in April 2008 and Titus Goho on June 12, 2008,’ the newsletter added.

Mushore, the MP for Muzarabani North, reportedly led a group of ZANU PF youths to destroy MDC activists’ homes. The same youths were also involved in the murder of Ratidzayi Dzenga on April 1, 2008.

‘Kachepa (MP Mudzi North) led a group of ZANU PF supporters that murdered Temba Muronde on April 13 2008 and Kingswell Muteta on 25 July 2008 at Chimukoko village in Mudzi. Bright Matonga (MP Mhondoro, Ngezi) led a group of ZANU PF youths using two vehicles belonging to him to murder MDC activist Dadirayi Chipiro, after setting her hut on fire on 8 June 2008,’ according to the newsletter.

Human rights lawyer Dewa Mavhinga told SW Radio Africa the culprits behind the 2008 wave of violence should be pursued and punished so that it will deter others from repeating such heinous crimes.

‘As you can see the list doesn’t contain the big fish, so I urge the MDC to go all the way to identify everyone involved in the political crimes. This is just the beginning, and I hope they are starting from bottom going up, because those named today (Tuesday) actually participated and were on the ground during the crimes. The MDC should go all the way to name the architects, the so called big fish, who are the authors of the violence,’ Mavhinga said.

While four of those named on Tuesday sit in parliament there are countless others from the military, police and CIO who still roam freely, after waging horrific orgies of violence in the rural areas.

On 5 May 2008 at Chaona village in Chiweshe, scene of the single biggest massacre during the disturbances, ZANU PF supporters and men in army uniform, led by Major Cairo Mhandu and Major Maravadza, brutally beat to death Tapiwa Meda, Joseph Madzuramhende, Alex Chiriseri, David Tachiwa Mapuranga, Arthur Matombo, Patson Mudzuramhende and Jeff Jemedze.

Women were stripped and beaten so viciously that whole sections of flesh fell away from their buttocks. Many had to lie facedown in hospital beds during weeks of recovery. Men were not spared sexual attack. The official postmortem report on Chiriseri listed crushed genitals among the causes of death. Other men died the same way.

At the funerals for the Chaona victims of violence, MDC MP for Mazowe North Shepherd Mushonga noted the gruesome condition of the corpses. The MP said he believed soldiers trained in torture were behind the killings, not the less sophisticated militias or war veterans who traditionally serve as ZANU PF enforcers.

The man regarded as the most violent criminal in Zimbabwe, Joseph Mwale, is also still free, despite his alleged involvement in several violent incidents in Manicaland and his alleged role in the murder of two MDC activists who were campaigning for the MDC president.

Eye witness accounts say Mwale, and two other ruling party thugs, set Tichaona Chiminya and Talent Mabika on fire after beating them with iron bars during the 2000 elections. The police were accused of watching the incident then pretending to make a wrong turn instead of pursuing Mwale and his gang. Mwale is a CIO operative in Mugabe’s office and it is widely believed this is why the police will not touch him.