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Monthly political violence report - July 2008
Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum
November 07, 2008

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Overview

Even after the disputed Presidential election run-off and subsequent swearing in of the ZANU PF candidate Robert Mugabe as the President of Zimbabwe, violence and political intolerance continued in the month of July in most parts of Zimbabwe. Retributive attacks by ZANU PF youths and war veterans on known and suspected MDC supporters continued to occur as characteristic of the period before the 27 June 2008, Presidential election run-off. However, the scale at which these violations occurred was significantly lower as compared to the period between April and June 2008.

ZANU PF youth militias launched "operation red finger" in both rural and urban areas, an operation that targeted those who did not vote in the Presidential Election run-off. Those who did not vote were accused of not doing so in protest at the one-man election and were subjected to violent attacks by ZANU PF youth militia. Election observers in the March Harmonised elections who did not assume the same role in the 27 June presidential election run-off were also targeted and accused of being MDC supporters because of their non-participation in the latter.

Evidence available to the Human Rights Forum also reveals that the torture bases that were set up prior to the 27 June Presidential Election run-off by ZANU PF youths and war veterans were still operational after the election, and were being used to terrorise residents in rural areas. In some of the cases documented in this report, the victims were taken to these torture bases and severely assaulted as characteristic of attacks prior to 27 June. The continued existence of these torture bases has relegated some rural communities into no-go areas controlled by ZANU PF youths. This has also exacerbated the crisis of internally displaced persons who fled from violence prior to the Presidential election run-off. Many of these people have been attacked after having tried to return to their homes and have been forced to go back into hiding. Other victims of the post-electoral violence were also targeted for attack after having reported the incidence to the police.

The number of violations recorded in this report is significantly lower than those recorded in April, May and June. The report documents a total of 227 violations as compared to the June total of 1126. The number of cases of torture recorded 6 against 35, was also significantly lower compared to those recorded in the same period. This can be attributed to the fact that the elections were over and the end that was sought to be achieved by the violence met. While substantially lower than the 60 recorded in June, there were still 19 murders reported in July.

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