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Masvingo traditional leaders propping up Jabulani Sibanda terror campaign
Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition
January 28, 2011

'Recognizing and acknowledging that traditional leaders are community leaders with equal responsibilities and obligation to all members of their communities regardless of age, gender ethnicity , race religion and political affiliation, the Parties hereby agree to;

• Commit themselves to ensuring the political neutrality of traditional leaders; and
• Call upon traditional leaders not to engage in partisan political activities at a national level as well as in their communities'

Article 14 of the GPA

Despite provisions contained in the Global Political Agreement under Article 14 imploring political parties to call upon traditional leaders not to engage in partisan political activities, traditional leaders in Masvingo province have been accused of propping up Jabulani Sibanda's terror campaign in the province. Traditional leaders are allegedly ordering villagers to attend the meetings on behalf of the self proclaimed war veteran leader and apparent ZANU PF commissar who launched the onslaught on Masvingo province in 2010.

According to Gutu south Member of Parliament and Public Service Minister, Professor Eliphas Mukonoweshuro, the villager are coerced to attend the meetings by traditional leaders and threatened with fines of between USD5 and USD50 if they fail. At the meetings, villagers are told to vote for ZANU PF or risk death. At one of the meetings held in Gutu district, Sibanda was quoted as saying, "We will kill the Member of Parliament. People will die and we will kill everyone who will note vote for ZANU PF in the next elections". Those who have attended the meetings before quoted Sibanda as saying that they (ZANU PF) are the ones who liberated the country and will go back and fight if people vote for any party other than ZANU PF. In his speeches Sibanda allegedly equates ZANU PF to a wife that a man guards jealously and equates people with the walls of a building that have gone desolate and need repainting.

Observers noted that people usually look terrified after the meetings as they dread a repeat of the June 2008 electoral violence. Worse still, those who attend the meetings believe that they have no protection from the law and as such have nowhere to run.

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