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This article participates on the following special index pages:
Zimbabwe's Elections 2013 - Index of Articles
Uzumba:
Zanu PF in psychological warfare
Youth Agenda Trust
July 11, 2013
Youths in Uzumba
are living in fear as Zanu-PF functionaries continue to promise
them a repeat of the June
2008 run-off genocide if they do not vote “correctly”
in the forthcoming
harmonised elections slated for July 31.
The youths say
that since the proclamation
of the election date, Zanu-PF functionaries here have been forcing
people to attend meetings while those who do not attend are labeled
“sell-outs”.
The villagers
in the area also said that while there was no physical violence
taking place in the area, they were being subjected to emotional
torture by being threatened with a backlash should election results
go the other way in three weeks time.
Tendai Mukamba
(not his real name) told Youth Agenda Trust (YAT) on the sidelines
of the Play Your Vote sports tournament held at Magunje primary
school near Nhakiwa shopping centre in Uzumba, that they are not
able to socialize with other people in the community as they are
being isolated.
“We are
living miserable lives here, instead of these people (Zanu-PF) to
apologise for the atrocities they committed in 2008, they are actually
boasting about it. As we speak, all those who support other political
parties are being accused of making the local borehole dysfunctional
hence the local headman has been tasked to deal with us…even
at the beer halls when we go to buy beer, people run away from us,
its so depressing,” said a visibly troubled Tendai.
Although aspiring
candidates are peacefully hitting the campaign trail, youths in
Uzumba are being psychologically tortured. YAT director Fortune
Nyamande urged the community members to peacefully co-exist and
called for tolerance ahead of the elections. He also called on the
youth to endure all frustrating tactics that may be used by politicians
to discourage them from participating in the electoral process.
The sports tournament
was attended by youths from areas such as Murewa, Nhakiwa, Katiyo,
Mutawatawa and Pfungwe. YAT has already some sports tournaments
in Masvingo South, Chegutu, Harare, Chitungwiza and Redcliff where
the organisation has been urging youths to positively participate
in the forthcoming elections.
Visit the Youth
Agenda Trust fact
sheet
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