POLITICAL VIOLENCE REPORT: DECEMBER 2002
Published 16 January 2003       Related pictures

OVERVIEW
ZANU PF youths are said to have continued to offer food in exchange for ZANU PF membership. In the Highfield constituency, party officials at distribution points were allegedly seen holding lists of names of ZANU PF members, and of those on the lists, only those with party cards had access to maize. Those who were not on the lists were ignored. Similarly, in the month of November, the Zimbabwe Human Rights Forum documented incidents that suggested that, in the absence of a pending election, ZANU PF was controlling access to food aid, denying those perceived to be MDC supporters access[1]. Political discrimination along party lines has thus continued in the month of December and this is despite repeated government denials that it is not politicising the distribution of food.[2]

War veterans and ZANU PF youths are purported to be intimidating civilians, assaulting them and forcing them to attend rallies in an effort to retain support. In Mbare West, Chamunorwa, Kanyoka and Tanhira, MDC supporters claim that the youths assaulted them with sticks, electric cables, small whips and other weapons, and then force-marched them to ZANU PF offices in the area. This was seen as a way of punishing the victims for not being at a ZANU PF rally that was held in the area. In a related incident, about forty ZANU PF supporters are said to have damaged property at Francis Dhlakama’s offices, after accusing him of usurping the powers of the Mayor by insulting the ZANU PF deputy Mayor of the city, Onias Mariyapera. Dhlakama is the MDC Executive Mayor for Chegutu. In UMP, Takawira Chipunza, an MDC supporter, claims that Godfrey Chikono, Bigboy Muroza, Shepard Mushamba and other war veterans assaulted him all over the body with sticks, chains and booted feet. He suspects that he was assaulted owing to his political affiliation.
War veterans have reportedly continued their wave of farm evictions and property destructions. The Zimbabwe Human Rights Forum documented an incident indicating that, Joseph Mwale, a CIO official and other police officers, are said to have raided Charleswood farm owned by Roy Bennet, MDC MP for Chimanimani, rounded up everyone, and ordered all the farm workers to stop work and leave the farm immediately.

Two arms of the state, the ZRP and ZNA, have reportedly been accused by some residents of Mudzi of being discriminative, intimidatory and of disturbing the peace enjoyed in the area. Villagers claim that the soldiers, sent by the government to ostensibly tighten the control and distribution of the food to the residents, have disturbed the peace in the area and the smooth flow of grain distribution by confiscating the grain. In another incident, ZCTU officials suffered political intimidation at the hands of police officers, as they claim that riot police assaulted them while holding a meeting at Gorlon Building in Harare, on allegations that the meeting was politically motivated and illegal. However, the ZCTU members claim that the meeting was merely for consultation with teachers from across the country, clamouring for action to protect their interests.

MDC MP for Seke, Ben Tumbare-Mutasa, claims that police in Dema called him, harassed him and ordered him to stop a rally he intended to hold in the area despite having received a letter from Superintendent Chisoro on behalf of the officer commanding Marondera district, granting him permission to go ahead with the public meeting.
Overall, although slight statistical decreases in violence and torture are apparent, we would like to note that due to the festive season holidays, the Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum was not able to document many incidents of political violence. This was because most of our partner NGOs, which form part of our source of information, were closed for the holidays. This therefore implies that, since all the cases included in this report are extracted from the press, the decrease in statistics for the month of December may reflect a lack of input from our normal source of information, rather than a decline in the types of political violence.

Totals 1 to 31 December 2002

Cumulative Totals 1 January 2002 – 31 December 2002
Sources: The information contained in the monthly violence reports is derived from statements made to the Legal Unit of the Zimbabwe Human Rights Forum, CFU reports, newspaper reports, and statements taken by the member organisations of the Human Rights Forum. (See last page for list of member organisations).
However for this issue, information has been extracted from press reports only.

Notes to the tables:
Torture:
All cases of torture fall under the definition of torture according to the general definition given in the United Nations Convention against Torture and Other Forms of Cruel, Inhuman and Degrading Treatment and Punishment.
The four elements of torture are:
1. Severe pain and suffering, whether physical or mental
2. Intentionally inflicted
3. With a purpose
4. By a state official or another individual acting with the acquiescence of the State.
Those individuals referred to in point # 4 include the ZRP, ZNA, ZPS and the ZNLWVA (as a reserve force of the ZNA) and by any other grouping when directly sanctioned by the state.

Unlawful arrest and detention:
Arrest by the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) with no reasonable suspicion that an offence has been committed. Detention thereafter for a period exceeding 48 hours without access to redress through the courts or subsequent release without charge.

Abduction/kidnapping:
A kidnapping by a member(s) of an organised group that is not the ZRP organisation. political party, ZNLWVA, ZNA, MDC, Zanu PF etc

Disappearance:
Kidnapped persons whose whereabouts remained unknown at the time of reporting. Their whereabouts have still to be ascertained through follow –up reports or further investigation.

Property related
These are incidents in which property rights have been violated. This includes arson, property damage and destruction and theft.

Key Abbreviations
CIO – Central Intelligence Organisation
MDC – Movement for Democratic Change
MP – Member of Parliament
NCA – National Constitutional Assembly
PTUZ – Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe
UMP – Uzumba Maramba Pfungwe
ZANU PF – Zimbabwe African National Union Patriotic Front
ZNA – Zimbabwe National Army
ZNLWVA – Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association
ZRP – Zimbabwe Republic Police

Cases of Political Violence
Note: The identities of victims that have not been published in the press and are not public officials are protected by the use of initials.

HARARE
Harare Central
4 December 2002

ZCTU members who had gathered to discuss issues on protection of their rights as teachers, claim that riot police operatives assaulted them while in the midst of their meeting at Gorlon Building, on allegations that the meeting was politically motivated and illegal. Earlier in the afternoon, the police had arrested ZCTU Deputy Secretary, Colleen Gwiyo, ZCTU Secretary General, Wellington Chibhebhe, as well as five other teachers outside the Monomotapa Hotel, when Chibhebhe was directing the workers towards Gorlon Building to hold their meeting. Chibhebhe claims that they were assaulted and ordered to sing MDC slogans on the way to the police station. The victims are said to have refused to do so, as they perceived this to be a trick by the police to get them to the police station singing, availing them a chance to charge them on arrival. They were held in police custody and released after two hours when the police saw that they had no charge to hold against them.

The Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum (also known as the “Human Rights Forum”) has been in existence since January 1998. Nine non-Governmental organisations working in the field of human rights joined together to provide legal and psychosocial assistance to the victims of the Food Riots of January 1998.
The Human Rights Forum has now expanded its objectives to assist victims of organised violence, using the following definition:
“Organised violence” means the inter-human infliction of significant avoidable pain and suffering by an organised group according to a declared or implied strategy and/or system of ideas and attitudes. It comprises any violent action, which is unacceptable by general human standards, and relates to the victims’ mental and physical well-being.”

The Human Rights Forum operates a Legal Unit and a Research and Documentation Unit.
Core member organisations of the Human Rights Forum are:
      · Amani Trust
      · Amnesty International (Zimbabwe) (AI (Z))
      · Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace (CCJP)
      · Gays and Lesbians of Zimbabwe (GALZ)
      · Legal Resources Foundation (LRF)
      · Transparency International (Zimbabwe) (TI (Z))
      · University of Zimbabwe Legal Aid and Advice Scheme
      · Zimbabwe Association for Crime Prevention and the Rehabilitation of the Offender (ZACRO)
      · Zimbabwe Civic Education Trust (ZIMCET)
      · Zimbabwe Human Rights Association (ZimRights)
      · Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR)
      · Zimbabwe Women Lawyers Association (ZWLA)

Associate Member:
Nonviolent Action and Strategies for Social Change (NOVASC)
The Human Rights Forum can be contacted through any member organisation or through:
1. The Administrator, c/o P O Box 5465, Harare – email: admin@hrforum.co.zw
2. The Legal Unit, c/o P O Box 5465, Harare – email: legal@hrforum.co.zw
3. The Research Unit, c/o P O Box 5465, Harare – email: research@hrforum.co.zw
Telephone: 792 222, 737 509, and 731 660; Fax: 772 860
4. The London Liaison Office, 33 Islington High Street, London N1 9LH – email: zimbabwe@article19.org;
Telephone: +44 (0)20-7239.1194
Website: www.hrforumzim.com
Previous reports of the Human Rights Forum can be found on our website.



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[1] Zimbabwe Human Rights Forum November 2002 report, page 2
[2] The Daily News, 6 December 2002, page 2