ZANU PF MP accused of fuelling political violence in Muzarabani

By Tichaona Sibanda
27 April 2010

The MDC-T in Mashonaland central province claimed on Tuesday that it has indisputable evidence that the ZANU PF MP for Muzarabani South, Edward Raradza, was fuelling a surge of violence and torture in the district.

Tonderai Samhu, the MDC-T youth chairman in the province, told SW Radio Africa the political violence exhibited by ZANU PF militias and youths in recent weeks has the blessing of the ZANU PF provincial governor Martin Dinha.

There have been numerous reports from human rights organisations of an upsurge of violence in rural areas, such as Mutasa North, Mudzi, Bindura and Masvingo, by ZANU PF sponsored thugs.
Two weeks ago the pressure group Restoration of Human Rights (ROHR) reported that terror had broken out in Muzarabani, resulting in 16 families fleeing their homes.

ROHR said the families from Hoya ward in Charunda village of Chief Kasekete in Muzarabani, fled at night to seek refuge at St Albert business centre, 84 km away. They did this to try to escape the organized terror from a group of 200 ZANU PF youths, sponsored by Raradza.

Reports say Raradza gives free rein to militias to burn down people’s homes and cause mayhem in the villages, and that he also ferries party cadres to villages to scare the electorate. The MDC has the vehicle registration numbers of the various lorries, trucks and cars used to ferry the thugs. Governor Dinha has allegedly also ordered the police not to interfere with ZANU PF activities in the province.

‘ZANU PF enjoys a free rein in the province. They’re untouchable because Dinha has told the police to back off and not to interfere with their activities good or bad,’ Samhu said.

A case in point is the refusal by the police to grant MDC activists and supporters permission to demonstrate in major towns of the province, while allowing ZANU PF to protest anytime, anywhere.
‘The villagers here, especially those deemed pro-MDC, are defenceless and have no one to defend them, because the police are partisan and too scared to stop ZANU PF supporters from their violent activities,’ Samhu added.

Samhu said the current violence in the country is unfortunate because it clearly has the backing of the highest office. He said that it was very wrong for the police to take no action against the people responsible for the recent violence, when they would have immediately reacted if it was the MDC creating the violence.
Meanwhile the oppression of activists and the clamp down on freedom of expression continues as Joel Hita, the regional chairperson of ZimRights in Masvingo, has been arrested. ZimRights’ has been trying to showcase a photo exhibition of the political violence during the 2008 elections, and have moved it from town to town as it regularly comes under threat of closure from the authorities. The exhibition had been taken to Masvingo and lawyer Philip Shumba said Hita was picked up by the police even though the event had been given police clearance. Hita was arrested along with three other ZimRights staffers on Monday. The others were released late that night.

He remains in police custody and is being denied access to food, friends and lawyers.