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New wave of violence hits Epworth
Zimbabwe Human Rights Trust
February 22, 2010

Movement for democratic Change supporters were attached by some ZANU PF youths on Sunday afternoon.

It is reported that six car loads of ZANU PF supporters gate crashed a MDC rally leaving many people badly injured from the axe and club attacks, which continued into the early hours of Monday morning. Many Epworth residents resorted to hiding in the surrounding bush although it was raining. Mr Tawa an MDC member of the local municipal council, has reported that his house is full of the injured and that people were streaming in all Sunday afternoons

The rally was called to discuss the process of creating a new Constitution for Zimbabwe as part of the Global Political Agreement of September 2008. Relevant authorities, like the police had been notified of the meeting, making it legal. But soon after it began at 1pm, the car loads of ZANU PF drove into it, ordering the MDC to evacuate Epworth and then viciously attaching the assembled audience.

The terms of the Global Political Agreement are very clear. All parties involved must stop violence when it breaks out. Police should now be going urgently to Epworth to arrest perpetrators of this outrage. But the youth are being left to do their free will as they are being reported to be still gathered in ward 7, at the only ZANU PF councilor's home, demanding that MDC members vacate Epworth immediately or else face death.

Last week, Epworth residents reported that six of the 13 ZANU PF militia bases that were operational in 2008 and early 2009 had reopened. An additional militia base has been reopened at Donoro in ward 2, Harare South Constituency. The militia bases established last week in Epworth Constituenccy are located in the following ward: Ward 7- Garakara and Mai Mawire, Ward 6 - Makandira, ward 5 - Kadumbu and Solani, ward 4.

There are allegations that the chairpaerson of ZANU PF Harare province, Amos Midzi the former ZANU PF member of parliament and former diplomat, was involved in these terrible events in Epworth on Sunday.

Zimrights advocates for the arrest of these youths who infringed upon the rights of the MDC supporters. As a step towards achieving Article V11 of the GPA everyone should know that no one is above the law whether or not their political party is in power.

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