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Elections debate invites villagers' ire
Platform for Youth Development
May 12, 2011

As the nation braces for another round of elections and the media awash with debate on their possibility, Chimbengende villagers are singing a different tune. Just a mention of the word elections itself is enough to invite their anger. Their experience with elections especially the 2008 Presidential election runoff was so bad that any elections talk would be depicted as going back to sleep in mountains and rivers. At a public meeting organized by Platform for Youth Development (PYD) and Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition (CZC) on Monday 9 May 2011, Chimbengende villagers cited high level of violence and intimidation as chief reasons why they are reluctant to participate in any future polls.

Chimbengende village in Birchenough Bridge area, Chipinge west constituency is dominated by Zanu PF functionaries who react even to the smallest hint of an MDC activity. The meeting in place reached their ears and the whole night they could not sleep running from place to place threatening to beat, kill and burn houses for those who would attend it. In Chimbengende village Zanu PF youths are so much in control that villagers need their approval to attend any meetings organized by civil society. Even during the COPAC outreach programme only selected and coached people participated in raising issues for inclusion in the constitution.

Villagers noted that there has not been much change from the kind of life they lived during the last elections as the same people who burnt their houses and tortured them are still roaming around the village posing so much fear in their hearts. "Tinototya teivaona veihamba munharaunda munomu ngekuti kukazi maelections tinozviziya kuti vanotangahe kutitaka" (we fear so much when we see them in the area because if there are elections we know they will start beating again) one villager said.

In the 2008 elections villagers resorted to sleeping in the nearby Nyunga Mountain and Save River as Zanu PF youths patrolled around the village all night harassing purported MDC supporters. Some of the villagers alleged that their houses and shops were burnt down, husbands and parents murdered and they are now reluctant to participate in political activities. Their future participation in elections is premised on the condition that SADC and international observers will be present at their polling station as this will guarantee security of their votes. Participants indicated that they have not fully recovered from the trauma they experienced at the hands of Zanu PF thugs while others said they have not managed to get decent accommodation since their houses were burnt down.

After the Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition Information and Communications Officer, Maria Mache read the Civil society dossier on the minimal conditions for elections, the villagers welcomed it and charged PYD and likeminded organizations to work hard in ensuring that the conditions are realized before the next round of polls. Maria promised radios to the community on behalf of Crisis Coalition.

The meeting was attended by Headman Goko and his four kraal heads with more than 80 people from Chimbengende community. Chimbengende village experienced monumental violence that resulted in the death of Headman Maunganidze after sustaining serious injuries from the beatings and up to 40 households burnt down with over 100 villagers dispersed.

PYD meetings at Rimbi, Chisumbanje, Mariya and Maparadze confirmed that no one is interested in elections neither this year nor two years to come. PYD remains worried with at which Rugare Gumbo (Zanu PF spokesperson) is articulating his party position disregarding the provisions of the GNU on the holding of elections.

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