Back to Index

This article participates on the following special index pages:

War veterans ban satellite dishes in Mat South
Nqobani Ndlovu, The Standard (Zimbabwe)
May 24, 2008

View article on the Zimbabwe Standard website

War veterans rampaging through Matabeleland South last week were allegedly forcing villagers to remove satellite television receivers from their homes. They closed down schools and irrigation schemes after targeting teachers and Ministry of Agriculture workers they accused of influencing rural voters to turn against President Robert Mugabe and Zanu PF in the 29 March elections. Terrified villagers told The Standard the ex-combatants, who set up bases throughout the province, had revived the wartime all-night vigils or "pungwes". On Wednesday, they forced villagers in the Lushongwe area of Gwanda North to remove their satellite dishes. The militias claimed the receivers, popular in most parts of Matabeleland because there is no transmission of local radio and television, were "misleading' them into voting against Zanu PF. Most villagers can only watch and listen to South African and Botswana television and radio channels. The MDC, which says more than 40 of its supporters have been killed and thousands displaced in the violence countrywide, condemned the latest assault on villagers' right to exercise their freedom of association.

"War veterans and Zanu PF militia went through Lushongwe on Wednesday, forcing villagers to remove satellite dishes, saying the dishes were a bad influence on the villagers," said Petros Mukwena, the provincial secretary of the MDC-Arthur Mutambara. "Education has also been disrupted after the teachers were chased away, resulting in the schools being closed." Matabeleland South police could not be reached for comment on the latest developments. Meanwhile in Kezi district, five schools were forced to close down after the former liberation war fighters chased away all the teachers, accusing them of influencing the villagers to vote against Zanu PF. The schools are Tjewondo primary and secondary, Marinoha and Zamanyoni primary and St Anne's secondary. This brings to 15 the number of schools closed by the war veterans in Matabeleland South. Other schools forced to shut down after teachers fled Zanu PF militia include Zezani Mission and Zhukwe, Sizeze, Sitezi, Maphane, Khozi, Wabayi, Nyandeni, Nkazhe and Gohole primary schools. Raymond Majongwe, the Progressive Teachers' Union of Zimbabwe secretary general said: "Schools have become targets of the Zanu PF militia, resulting in dozens of them closing down." On Thursday the war veterans allegedly took over plots at Mhabhinyane irrigation scheme in Matobo district, helping themselves to vegetable and maize that is still to be harvested.

Please credit www.kubatana.net if you make use of material from this website. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License unless stated otherwise.

TOP