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Abductions and torture continue around provinces
Bulawayo Agenda
May 22, 2008

GWERU - Obert Masaraure, a student from Midlands State University who had participated in a two-man demo in Gweru early this year together with Onwel Marasha, were abducted by war vets while attending Onwel's mother's funeral in Zaka on Wednesday.

LUPANE - War veterans have failed to set up a base in Jotsholo fearing that attacking their neighbours might cause strains in their relationship after the run-off. However, some bases have been dismantled in areas such as Mpofu, Ngwende and Dandanda because the community was not cooperating with Zanu PF. As a result, war vets have resorted to holding secret meetings to re-strategize. They have been observed leaving the Zanu PF provincial offices every morning to an unknown destination.

MASHONALAND - The bodies of MDC activists, Godfrey Kawuzane, Cain Nyezi and Betha Sekurinyazamba were found dumped in three different places in Goromonzi and Murewa last week. The three were last seen travelling to Murewa when the vehicle they were travelling in was blocked by two Twin-cabs and abducted. Betha's body was later discovered last Sunday while the other two bodies were found in Marowa and Goromonzi on Tuesday by villagers. The bodies of the three were in a serious state of decomposition. Their eyes had been plucked out, and ears and tongues cut off.

Another MDC activist, Tonderai Ndira was abducted from his home last week and went missing until yesterday 21 May 2008 when his family was asked to go and identify his body at Pararenyatwa Hospital. His body had decomposed as well.

21 May 2008
GOKWE SOUTH - Alleged war veterans travelling in a cream Mitsibushi without number plates visited Mwambane Village under Chief Mukoka and forced residents to attend a meeting where they were told that they would be taught how to vote, that is, voting for Zanu PF in the presidential run-off. The residents the team were asked to repent and then denounce Morgan Tsvangirai. They were also told to hand over any MDC T-Shirts and membership cards. They threatened to banish anyone who left the area saying that they might as well to join their white colonial masters in Britain.

MDC activists Mr Raphael Mahlangu and Mrs Jairos Mahlangu have since fled from the village leaving their children with a neighbour. The neighbour was later threatened by war vets who warned that that his home would be burnt down for providing refuge the Mahlangu?s children. Earlier, Chief Mukoka, in the company of war vets, CIO agents called a meeting at Msala Clinic and told villagers that a list of over 800 MDC activists had been compiled and that these would be dealt with.

Zanu PF activists brutally assaulted Tinos Mutangi, the Ward 27 MDC campaign team chairman, and fellow activists. This was after they had told police that they had slept in the bush for four days hiding from people who were looking for them. The police had told them that they had no transport to enable them to attend to the case. They were ambushed as they left the police posts.

MATOBO - It has been reported that bases in some areas of Matobo, in have been dismantled Matobo, about 200 m away from the villages, has phased down its operations. The number of threats have decreased following a warning given to war vets by residents that they would retaliate to any violence from them.

NKAYI SOUTH Manoma Village, under Chief Mandiiwa - A base has been set up by war vets, Zanu PF activists including Van Moyo, the loosing Zanu PF council candidate and a Makhayi Ndlovu. On the night of 11 May, Zanu PF youths then visited Danisa Tshuma?s home. On finding that he was not home, they left a letter with his wife inviting him to Nkayi Police station. Danisa reported to the police the following day and found Nowman Ndlovu, the MDC vice secretary for ward 28 who had received a similar letter. The police at the station then advised the two to flee since they were aware of plans to beat them up. State security operatives driving a cream Mitsubishi truck with no number plates have been going from door to door intimidating known MDC activists.

20 May 2008
GOKWE - Fainos Mazhandu and his wife Alice had their home burnt down in Ward 2 E Nembudziya, Gokwe. The two were ferried by scotch carts to Mutora Clinic as they are seriously tortured and cannot work.

PLUMTREE - Benedict Ndlovu, the MDC Madabe Ward 3 councillor has reported that war veterans in the Mangwe Constituency have threatened to kill MDC officials on their list. Among those targeted are Japhat Sibanda, Daniel Sibanda, Thusa Ngwenya and others who have fled the area. Councillor Ndlovu is planning to visit refugee camps in Bostwana to look for them there.

War veterans have been going door to door in Plumtree imploring residents to attend Zanu Pf meetings in the border town. People who do not turn up are being threatened with unspecified action.

CHAKARI MASH WEST - Two women from Danly Down Mine in Chakari, Mashonaland West fled to Bulawayo yesterday after living in the bush 10km from the mine with fifty other victims of political violence. Portia (16) and Esnat Lytonjose (42) escaped an attack from over forty Zanu PF thugs and pseudo war veterans and youth militia who were conducting what they termed an operation to flush out sell outs.

"They were carrying sticks, knives and stones and they were chanting and singing a song that went: Zanu PF shumba yemaCHINJA (Zanu PF are lions to the MDC)" said Portia.

Portia and Esnat said they had not eaten or slept for more than four days. They left with no money or food leaving the rest hiding in the bush hiding and up to now they do not know what could have happened to them.

It all began when Zanu PF thugs slipped a note under 16 year old Portia's home warning her that they (ZANU PF) would be visiting their home along with other suspected MDC supporters. She is a youth activist of the MDC.

Political violence at Dalny Down Mine began on the 4th May 2008 when Mascow Chakarapasi the MDC winning Member of Parliament in Mashonaland East was assaulted by thugs. It was alleged that the Zanu PF thugs were sent by Zanu PF Councillor Gladys Mulambulila who personally escorted Zanu PF thugs and war veterans to point out the homes of those that belonged to the MDC.

19 May 2008
Mat South in tense lead up to runoff. The post March 29 election period has been tense and characterized by intimidation, destruction of property and loss of life and limb. This was revealed at a meeting organized by Gwanda Agenda last Friday in the highly contested Matabeleland South province. There has been mobilization of Zanu PF youth militia, pseudo - war veterans and the state security camped in most of the wards in the province and are responsible for acts of political violence in what seems to be a well orchestrated campaign.

The meeting was part of consultations being undertaken by a team from Bulawayo Agenda led by Executive Director, Gorden Moyo, who are visiting areas affected by political violence ahead of the Presidential runoff that will pit MDC candidate Morgan Tsvangirai and Zanu PF's Robert Mugabe. The runoff, according the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission, will be held on 27 June since, according to them, there was no outright winner in the first round.

One of the participants in the discussions said that the province was in a state of trauma with camps or so-called bases having being been set up at every school that was a polling station during the March 29 poll. This was interpreted as a form of intimidation on villagers cautioning to vote properly, that is, for Zanu Pf this time round. In addition to this, locals are being trained by war veterans on methods of torture and this had created an atmosphere of fear and mistrust where villager had turned against villager. This was a recipe for civil war, she said.

Threats of death on those who voted for the opposition have become common with perpetrators of the violence claiming that they were doing so under instructions. Among those who were being targeted were MDC party members, polling agents, teachers, and Zimbabwe Electoral Support Network (ZESN) observers during the last election.

The informant said that some of those people running the camps were also victims, too scared to leave because anyone who refused to be part of those in the so called 'bases' was labelled a sell-out. Some camps were located alongside police posts, yet these offered no protection for the victims.

A shocking discovery was that that some people in Esigodini, Matshetsheni and Enyandeni had each been supplied with 5 litres of fuel toburn the homes of the opposition and cyanide to poison them after the runoff. Such crude methods of intimidation are indeed disturbing.

In areas such as West Nicholson, south of Gwanda, a torture camp that had been set up at the old Liebigs plant had been dismantled after people in the area were severely beaten up by thugs based at the base. Police had earlier expressed ignorance of the camp until they were challenged with compelling evidence about the goings on at the base.

At Insiza, 4 homesteads that belonged to MDC and Zanu PF supporters were burnt down, those of the former being torched in retribution. In another instance, a headman told an informant that they were asked by war veterans why they allowed people under them to vote wrongly when it was President Mugabe who paid their salaries.

According to the civil society organisation CIVNET, people were being singled out and mentioned by name and then threatened with death forcing them to flee the area. This was the case in Mtshede where a meeting was called at the school with the intention of flogging the teachers in front of villagers. Fortunately, they caught wind of the plot and fled to Gwanda and Esigodini.

In the Silozwi area, those who were going round threatening members of the community were mainly from the surrounding resettlement areas.

At Nathisa, threats were mainly against those who are said not have voted correctly with war vets going round forcing villagers to pay fines or supply them with maize as extortion. This also points to the fact that whoever is behind the setting up of the camps are unable to sustain them in terms of food and other logistical supplies.

It was revealed that a lot of the perpetrators of political violence usually carried out their attacks under cover of darkness indicating that they wanted to hide their identities. It would seem that they are themselves scared to be singled out which means that f people were to have the courage to confront them; they would yield as has happened in other areas.

In the Manama area, a secondary school headmaster called his senior pupils together and asked them how they would feel if their teachers were assaulted in front of them, a popular tactic of humiliating them by war veterans and youth militia. They responded by arming themselves with stones and clubs to defend their teachers against the thugs.

However, it was noted that there were police officers and other members of the security apparatus who were professional in the way they discharged their duties and had risen above being partisan when dealing with cases of political violence.

Despite the threats and intimidation, people were looking forward to the runoff. They were appalled at attempts to beat them into submission and thus relished the opportunity for them to be heard this time around. What is required are guarantees that would create an atmosphere that is conducive for everyone to vote freely without fear of retribution.

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