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More reports of attacks across provinces
Zimbabwe Peace Project
May 25, 2008

Midlands
Senior Zanu PF leaders are said to have held a meeting in on 25 May 2008 Mvuma with war veterans with an agenda to calling for a thorough vetting of residents in order to flush out the so called 'enemy infiltrators'. A new base has since been set up in nearby resettlement areas to spearhead this exercise.

One Mrs. RM a nurse at Mvuma Hospital was threatened with dismissal from work for working as a polling agent for the opposition party during the Harmonised elections. She received more threats from war veterans that they would burn down her house. Another nurse, Mrs M, reportedly fled to the UK last week under similar threats.

This terror exercise has also seen people like MC, Baba J, Mr S, and baby boy T, wife, FM and TM being kidnapped on May 25, 2008 and their fate is still unknown. In another case, a home belonging to CM, the son of a former Zanu PF, was torched by Zanu PF thugs after they accused him of celebrating MDC victory. He had just had his birthday party.

Mshonaland West
Norton has seen a different form of violence under 'Operation Misika Ngaivharwe' (Operation Market Closedown) whose aim is to flush out 'enemies' (non Zanu PF supporters) from the area. The exercise is being spearheaded by the outgoing Zanu PF Councillor and the District Chairperson. When the operation started on May 20, Zanu PF thugs are alleged to have gone about beating up people especially those selling basic commodities such as bread and cooking oil accusing them of promoting the parallel market. This spread to Katanga Shopping Centre to vendors selling clothes. Vendors were forced to pack up their wares and leave the trading place until they provided proof of owning tables they were trading from. On the 21st May 2008, there was a total closure of these markets.

On Thursday 22 May it is alleged that the perpetrators called for a meeting at which they announced that all those who wanted to trade from market places, were to do so following a vetting process done through Zanu PF structures. Conditions set to permit traders into the market place included affiliation with the ruling party Zanu PF. The whole exercise is aimed at identifying all MDC supporters who did not attend Zanu PF meetings before and after elections. The outgoing councillor is alleged to have threatened those found to be aligned to the MDC with invasion of their homes. The Councillor is reported to have stated that is unacceptable for MDC supporters to continue using Zanu PF market stalls.

The requirement for those wanting to return to their market stalls is that after they purchase a form they are supposed to have it endorsed by about six people in the Zanu PF structures.

Mashonaland East
It is reported that six people were injured and one of them was allegedly axed on the head when Zanu PF supporters attacked residents of Bobo Compound at Caledonia Farm on May 22. The community at the compound also suffered losses as their huts were torched.

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