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Political
Violence Report: August 2004 - Overview
Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum
October
19, 2004
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Overview
Incidents that occurred in Zimbabwe in August show a lack of commitment
by the Government of Zimbabwe to the implementation of the SADC
Principles and Guidelines Governing Democratic Elections. Intra-party
violence between members of ZANU PF which resulted in high levels
of politically motivated violence taking place in Makoni North (Manicaland
Province) between 21 and 22 August 2004 evidenced the continuing
absence of "freedom of association and political tolerance"
. This equally applies to events in Epworth (Hatfield constituency,
Harare Province) where MDC members were victimized for distributing
flyers with a clash between MDC and ZANU PF youths ensuing. In Makoni
North constituency (Manicaland Province) Didymus Mutasa, ZANU PF
MP for Makoni North and Minister of Special Affairs in the President's
Office Responsible for the Anti-corruption and Anti Monopolies Programme,
was allegedly involved in or the instigator of several incidents
of assault and destruction of property. Youths who support Minister
Mutasa were reportedly responsible for victimising several other
ZANU PF supporters and war veterans who are perceived to be in opposition
to the Minister, including James Kaunye, who reportedly intends
to contest against the Minister in the ZANU PF primary elections
for the constituency.
James Kaunye
was reportedly stripped naked and assaulted. He is reported to have
lost consciousness and had to be resuscitated by having water poured
over him then taken to Rusape General Hospital having apparently
sustained serious head injuries. In Rusape (Manicaland Province)
the youths accompanying Mutasa, known as the "A-team,"
allegedly assaulted a Mrs. Munyembani at her homestead and also
allegedly assaulted people at a bus stop in Headlands. They are
said to have gone from the bus stop to a residential area in Headlands
where they reportedly assaulted Nyasha Chingosho, the daughter of
a war veteran. Chingosho sustained a broken leg from the attack.
The group allegedly went to Kaunye's house where they reportedly
assaulted 5 people including Kaunye's wife, Joyline Kaunye. Minister
Mutasa was reported to have been actively involved in the violence
at this point and was also reportedly seen "shooting at the
dogs and windowpanes and with catapults".
Along the road
leading back to Makombe Business Centre, the youths purportedly
assaulted Kelvin Magwaro who sustained a deep cut on the lower lip.
The youths also reportedly stopped at Mrs. Chiparange's homestead
where they assaulted her on the back using a shovel. Mrs. Chiparange's
lost one of her front teeth as a result and sustained a swollen
shoulder and back. At Reeb Business Centre, the youths reportedly
assaulted Tenga Muchatiza, breaking his leg in the process. In Rusape,
near Total service station, they allegedly assaulted Charles Katyora,
ZANU PF district Chairman for Vengere (Manicaland province). They
purportedly stripped him naked and stabbed him in the buttocks with
a screwdriver. In Vengere, more people were assaulted on the way
to Mhiripiri's homestead where the youths reportedly destroyed property
and killed a dog. They also allegedly looted various utensils and
$165 000 cash at Mhiripiri's home before they retired to the Minister
Mutasa's house where they were said to be based.
Eventually
42 people were reportedly arrested for their involvement in the
violence. Minister Mutasa reportedly acknowledged that the youths
were his supporters and allegedly paid bail for 31 of them. He was
quoted as having stated :"Of, course I have to pay for my supporters.
I have paid for 31, and it was $300 000 each." No action has
yet been recorded as having been taken against Minister Mutasa.
The ZRP established
a board of inquiry to investigate the violence in Rusape and found
that Minister Mutasa had indeed been involved in the violence that
occurred in Makoni North. The Human Rights Forum condemns the events
that took place in Makoni North and is deeply disturbed that although
the youths that perpetrated the violence were arrested and have
been charged for the violence, the Minister has not been prosecuted
for his involvements in the violence. In addition comments reportedly
made by Minister Mutasa following the incident exhibited a complete
lack of remorse on his part. Minister Mutasa, who indeed seems to
be enjoying impunity for his actions, has had comments attributed
to him in the nature the following: "I had gone to attend a
church service in my constituency and Kaunye came to provoke me.
He got what he deserved. Akabatwa neriva rake (he was caught in
his own trap.)"
The Human Rights
Forum commends the Commissioner of Police, Augustine Chihuri, for
the recent stance that he adopted with respect to incidents of political
violence. According to the Commissioner the ZRP will "have
zero tolerance of any situation or activities which they perceive
as contributing to violence." The Commissioner also stated
that "towards the 2005 Parliamentary Elections… barbaric
type of political activism in which youths are used as cannon fodder
should cease." The Human Rights Forum noted these sentiments
with appreciation as instigators of political violence have indeed
often in the past used youths as foot soldiers who are later prosecuted
for perpetrating violence while the instigators themselves have
not been held accountable for their involvement in the violence
as well. We call upon the Commissioner to take action against holders
of political office who believe that they enjoy impunity in so far
as they make statements such as "Ndino disciplinwa nani?"
(who will discipline me). Scrupulous prosecution of the instigators
of violence is just as vital as prosecution of perpetrators.
Clashes broke
out between ZANU PF and MDC youths in Epworth (Hatfield constituency).
MDC youths that were distributing flyers in the constituency were
reportedly attacked by ZANU PF youths resulting in a clash during
which some MDC youths were reportedly kidnapped by ZANU PF youths
and assaulted by them. One of the MDC youths alleges that he was
abducted by war veterans and assaulted by them. He claims that during
the clash between MDC and ZANU PF youths on 16 August 2004 he was
caught by war veterans who allegedly beat him with baton sticks
and sjamboks for approximately 30 minutes before they abducted him
and took him to their base where they assaulted him further. NN
alleges that ZRP officers later arrived at the base and joined in
the assault. NN reportedly lost consciousness for about an hour.
He was then allegedly taken to Domboramwari Police Station where
the war veterans are said to have watched as the police continued
assaulting him.
NN was then
apparently returned to the custody of the war veterans who took
him away to another of their bases known as Donhoro where there
were 14 other ZANU PF youths. He was allegedly ordered to fight
11 of them one by one. He was handcuffed and the 11 youths he had
fought against were reportedly ordered to assault him. CID officers
from the Law and Order Maintenance section reportedly arrived later
and arrested NN and the 14 ZANU PF youths and took them to Harare
Central Police Station. The 14 youths were reportedly released but
NN was kept in police custody. He was allegedly beaten during the
night and the next morning he was asked to reveal the names of his
MDC colleagues. When he refused to do so he was allegedly assaulted
again. He was then taken to court and reportedly charged under POSA
then released on $250 000 bail.
The reported
involvement of police in incidents such as the one above perpetuates
the lack of political tolerance that subsists between youths that
are members of ZANU PF and MDC. The Human Rights Forum deplores
the perpetration of political violence by state agents. Such involvement
has the effect of deterring victims of political violence from reporting
these incidents to the police due to diminished trust in the ability
of the police to act in a professional and ethical manner.
State agents
were also allegedly involved in torturing residents of Mabvuku on
26 August 2004. This allegedly occurred after a soldier in civilian
clothing reportedly made advances towards a married woman who apparently
turned him down. The soldier is alleged to have assaulted the woman
for turning him down. The woman's husband, who was reportedly returning
home from work, passed by Chizhanje Shopping Complex and on seeing
that his wife was being assaulted, shouted "thief, thief"
to draw the attention of people nearby. People in the vicinity responded
to the man's call and reportedly assaulted the soldier assuming
that he was a thief. The soldier then reportedly identified himself
and produced his ID and was subsequently set free.
A while later
about 15 uniformed soldiers reportedly appeared and randomly assaulted
any person that they came across accusing them of having assaulted
a soldier earlier on. The soldiers reportedly abducted some of the
residents, accusing them of being MDC supporters and took them to
the ZNA NOCZIM base along Mutare Road where they were assaulted
with rifle butts, baton sticks and kicked with booted feet. Some
allege that they were forced to roll on the ground. One of them,
TN, alleges that he was ordered to urinate and then forced to roll
down in his urine. He was then reportedly forced to do press ups
among many other things. The abducted persons were reportedly taken
to Mabvuku Police Station where they were detained and released
the following evening, 27 August 2004.
Such actions
by the Army against civilians are deplorable, in particular the
random assault of civilians who may or may not have been involved
in the earlier violence. The Human Rights Forum calls upon state
agents to desist from meting out justice through torture, abduction
or unlawful arrests, where any reasonable suspicion that a crime
has been committed is absent. We urge state agents to respect structures
established by Zimbabwean law for dealing with suspected perpetrators
of crime.
Violence continues to be perpetrated against teachers in rural schools.
Teachers are victimized and assaulted for real or perceived ties
to the MDC. The Human Rights Forum calls on the relevant authorities
to ensure that teachers operate in a violence and fear-free environment
in the campaign period for the March 2005 Parliamentary Elections.
Nesbert Chinheya, Headmaster of Musani Primary School (Chipinge
North constituency - Manicaland Province), was reportedly attacked
by 10 ZANU PF youths for supporting the MDC. Chinheya was reportedly
assaulted in the presence of teachers at the school. He was then
reportedly ordered by war veterans to write a report to them explaining
why he supports the MDC. The attack on the headmaster reportedly
followed well-attended meetings in Chipinge and Chimanimani districts
addressed by Morgan Tsvangirai. Freeman Chikangaise, a teacher at
Gideon Mhlanga Secondary School (Chipinge North constituency - Manicaland
Province), was allegedly assaulted by ZANU PF supporters who accused
him of sympathizing with the opposition MDC. Chikangaise has reportedly
gone into hiding out of fear. Another teacher at Tsungai High School
in Gokwe North (Midlands Province) was allegedly assaulted by Garikai
Mukundwa, ZANU PF Youth Chairperson, Tapera, ZANU Youth Vice-Chairperson
for Gokwe North, and two other ZANU PF youths on allegations that
he had celebrated an assault that had been perpetrated earlier on
Garikai by fellow ZANU PF youths during an incident of intra-party
violence. He was allegedly threatened with more assaults and told
not to come and teach in that area again. The incident was reported
to Nembudiya Police Station.
The Human Rights Forum urges the Government of Zimbabwe to "take
necessary measures to ensure the scrupulous implementation"
of SADC Principles and Guidelines Governing Democratic Elections.
Of particular concern to the Human Rights Forum is the safeguarding
of "human and civil liberties of all citizens including the
freedom of movement, assembly, association and expression"
which the Government of Zimbabwe does not appear to be respecting
at the present time. While the Human Rights Forum welcomes assurances
by the President of Zimbabwe to the effect that Zimbabwean "security
organs will show no mercy towards any aberration that detracts from
our peace, stability and tranquillity.," these assurances are
yet to be translated into action.
Totals: 1
August - 31 August 2004
Cumulative
Totals: 1 January 2004 - 31 August 2004
Visit the Zimbabwe
Human Rights NGO Forum fact
sheet
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