Mass trial of victims of ZANU PF looting in Nyanga

By Lance Guma
29 September 2009

Around 88 villagers will be in court at the Nyanga Magistrates court on Wednesday, charged with extortion after they attempted to retrieve property and livestock seized by ZANU PF thugs. The villagers, perceived to be MDC supporters, were targeted in the run-up to the sham one man presidential election in June last year and lost cattle, goats, chickens, ploughs and food stocks harvested from their fields.

There has been no intervention from the coalition government to ensure a return of the looted property and no compensation has been paid to the villagers. Earlier this year they took the matter into their own hands and approached the looters in Chifambe Village, under Chief Katerere, demanding their property back. They were promptly arrested by police and were later released on bail.

The villagers have named the master-minds of the looting as: Tichaona Kadyamusana, Gibson Nyakuba, Loveness Nyakabobo, Martin Njanji, Chenjerai Mukoko, Peter Masenza, Fungai Nyakurega, Mike Kadyamusuma, Obert Kadyamusuma, Courage Kadyamusuma, Rhodah Biasi, Paul Teta, Samuel Sanyamwera and Richard Bulawayo. The thieves allegedly took food from the victims to feed militias camped in their nearby bases of Chawagonahapana and Avilla Business Centre in Ward 2 of Katerere. MDC supporters were also assaulted at the bases but local police in Nyanga refused to intervene and left the thugs to do as they pleased.

The Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights are also assisting another group of 16 villagers, who are demanding around US$853 in damages for sunflower seeds, goats, maize, sorghum, guinea fowls, chicken, groundnuts, beasts and sheep taken.

Similar cases have highlighted the need for a workable transitional justice and national healing mechanism to deal with grievances like this. This year a Bikita court granted an order, allowing 7 villagers to claim US$7 000 from ZANU PF supporters who looted their property. But villagers in Buhera, who were also targeted by ZANU PF militias, engaged in retaliatory attacks, frustrated at not being able to get their property back.

Experts say there is a real need for a political solution to the problem. Given the compromised judiciary it is unlikely that victims will find any justice and even those who win court orders will struggle to get them enforced by a partisan police force. Even though the unity deal between ZANU PF and the MDC commits itself to reconciliation and national healing it has become obvious that ZANU PF accepted this out of expediency and has no real interest in the process.