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Bulawayo Public Seminar overview
Mass Public Opinion Institute
April 25, 2011

Introduction

The main aim of having this public seminar in Bulawayo was to ensure that the Institute spreads its activities to all the provinces in order to provide a platform for dialogue on current affairs issues for all Zimbabweans. It is hoped that through dialoguing, people will be able to make frank discussions on issues of concern to them and this should also feed into the policy making process as people will be afforded an opportunity to air their views and this will feed into the policy formulation process. It is hoped again that through this process, the pervasive culture of fear, which has become part and parcel of the Zimbabwe polity will gradually wane and eventually dissipate.

The topic for debate was, “Resurgence of Political Violence: What can be done?” This topic was found to be appropriate after a realization that the scourge of violence was becoming a major problem in various parts of the country. The reappearance of political violence seemed to have been motivated by the ‘hot’ talk that Zimbabwe was going for elections this year (2011). In January this year, there were reports of violence in Harare’s high-density suburb of Mbare and Nyakomba area in Nyanga North constituency where supporters of the MDC-T and the legislator for the area, Douglas Mwonzora and Zanu-PF supporters clashed. This culminated in the incarceration of the MDC-T legislator as well as other supporters of the MDC led by Mr. Morgan Tsvangirai. Against this background the Institute crafted the topic with a view to offer stakeholders a chance to candidly discuss the issue of political violence and for them to proffer solutions on what can be done to eradicate politically inspired violence.

The public seminar was held on the 14th of April at Cillas Conference Centre in Bulawayo. Attendance was not as high as is the case with public seminars that take place in Harare and approximately 40 people attended the public seminar. It is important to note that unlike in Harare where males show interest in attending seminars and workshops, other towns have shown that women also have interest in these gatherings. For this public seminar, it was noted that male participants were slightly more than females and it can be estimated that 55% were males while 45 % were females. In terms of the composition of speakers, it was case of one female and two males. However, it is also important to note that the facilitator or moderator was female. While it is the Institute’s wish to ensure gender balance at its gatherings, the major challenge that the Institute normally encounters is that of ‘topic-appropriate’ women refusing to take part in some of the activities.

The speakers were:

1. Qhubani Moyo, MDC National Organizing Secretary and Member of JOMIC

2. Zenzele Ndebele, Radio Dialogue, Lecturer at National University of Science and Technology (NUST)

3. Hon Thabitha Khumalo, MDC-T legislator for Bulawayo East and a member of JOMIC.

Public seminar overview

All the three speakers started from the premise that reported cases of violence around the country were not a new occurrence. Honourable Tabitha Khumalo took the position that there was no resurgence of political violence because it had never stopped in the first place. The same sentiments were expressed by Qhubani Moyo who emphasized that violence had always been the culture of Zimbabwean politics. Qhubani believes that to speak of resurgence of political violence would mean focusing on acts of violence that characterized MDC provincial elections in Bulawayo and other such places. Though agreeing with the other speakers, Zenzele Ndebele tried to demonstrate that violence has not only always existed in Zanu-PF but in the MDC formations as well.

Honorable Tabitha Khumalo’s approach was that there was need to hear public opinion on the issue of violence. To bring an end of political violence, Hon Tabitha Khumalo recognized the need to ensure public participation in political affairs. Her argument was that the answer to end political violence does not necessarily come from political leaders only; she challenged the public to demand an end to it.

Speaking on efforts being made by JOMIC in the quest to stamp political violence, Hon Tabitha Khumalo made an observation that JOMIC can only persuade the principals against use of violence. She blamed the ineffectiveness of JOMIC on parties that use double standards when dealing with the issue of political violence. For her, some of the principals to the GPA preach peace in public but clandestinely seek violence. She, however, claimed that after the recent SADC Summit in Zambia, JOMIC has, as a result, become a force to reckon with.

While Qhubani Moyo observed that the culture of violence was not new in the politics of the country, he took a position that the said resurgence of violence is a perpetuation of a culture whose roots are in Zanu-PF. He traced violence in Zanu-PF back to the time when it was recruiting cadres for the liberation struggle, claiming that violence was the major instrument used then. The Speaker then explained how the history of elections in Zimbabwe has ever been characterized with violence. Below is a summary of the elections history of violence:

1980: Zanu-PF use violence. It denied ZAPU to campaign in Mashonaland.

1985: Zanu-PF unleashed terror to the nation so that it keeps holding on to power.

1990: The campaigns against ZUM were violent. Level of violence was massive; Kizito Chifamba pumped 6 bullets in Kombayi’s body and was decorated instead of being arrested for that.

2000: When pro-democratic forces came together, massive violence erupted against the people of Zimbabwe. Claims MDC won elections but violently denied power.

2008: Open intimidation, violence, killing of opposition supporters. A coup d’état took place.

2008: Open intimidation, violence, killing of opposition supporters. A coup d’état took place.

In summarizing Zanu-PF’s approach, the speaker noted that ‘violence is their language. Zanu-PF can never win elections even when they are not free and fair’. He accused senior members of Zanu-PF of performing a coup d’état on Zimbabwean population. He quoted Simon Khaya Moyo as saying ‘we will go for elections but will never accept the results’.

In answering the question ‘what can be done?’ Moyo began by recognizing that Zimbabwe has many opportunities for it to thrive provided the environment is conducive. He proposed full implementation of the provisions of the Global Political Agreement, media reform, conclusion of the new constitution, and reform of security forces as some of the things that need to be pursued to ensure that the problem of violence is nipped in the bud. On the issue of security forces, the speaker was baffled at a situation where the Minister of Home Affairs is said to be running away from the police. He also called for a change in the system of political governance from a ‘winner take all’ to ‘proportional representation.’

The third speaker, Zenzele Ndebele, had an issue with the MDC formations, and in particular, MDC-T. He was in agreement with the other two speakers on Zanu-PF’s contribution towards the perpetuation of the culture of violence. Like Qhubani Moyo, the speaker tracked violence in Zanu-PF back to the period of the armed struggle. The speaker argued that the formation of Zanu-PF was shrouded in violence and brought about the formation of Dynamos football club which also brought violence to the football arena. The speaker cited bush camps ‘pungwes’ as epitomized with violence. He pointed out that the ‘pungwes’ became the major areas where the word ‘sell-out’ was first extensively used, and has continued be used in contemporary Zimbabwe. Like Qhubani Moyo, he talked about the culture of violence continuing in Zanu-PF and cited the incidents of 1980 and 1990.

He however took a different path when he was looking at violence beyond the year 2000. He severely censured the MDC-T for violence that led to its split in October 2005. The speaker took his time talking about this violence and the internal enquiry whose report findings were kept away from the public eyes by its leader Morgan Tsvangirai. The speaker claimed privy to the contents of the report which was prepared by a committee in which Minister of National Healing Moses Mzilla was a member.

The speaker reminded other presenters not to only talk about political violence but the need to also focus on structural violence which he said was rampant and verbal violence which he also noted to be equally devastating. He spoke of verbal violence against the Ndebele people as something has always been there. He ended his presentation by saying that the first step to ending violence is admitting that we are a violent people.

The speakers submitted that every Zimbabwean is responsible and that everyone has been socialized in the culture of violence through Zanu-PF. Though from slightly diverse viewpoints, all speakers lampooned continued violence as impeding efforts to heal the nation, and called upon the ruling elite to walk the talk on violence. One speaker fell short of calling on the public to launch street protests and demand an end to violence.

After the presentations, the audience had time to ask questions. One participant criticized the presentations by Qhubani Moyo and Hon Tabitha Khumalo as’ paralyzed’, a criticism that was met with unkind responses by Qhubani Moyo. Nonetheless, the question and answer segment produced clearer recommendations than the presentations had done. Below is a summary of what the discussion agreed can be done in the fight against violence:

• Do not celebrate perpetrators of violence, there should be retribution for such people
• Let us not look for violence only caused by others; let’s us look for violence in own parties
• NGO and civic society educate youths against violence
• Address political violence at party level
• Women should realize that they have the power and should take a leading role in campaigning against violence. Women’s priorities are said to be currently misplaced.
• There is need to change people’s state of poverty
• The need to change Zanu-PF socialization
• The need to have independent people investigate violence at party level
• For the ruling elite to stop abusing power

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