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Masvingo traditional leaders fine villagers for not supporting ZANU PF
Zimbabwe Peace Project (ZPP)
November 09, 2010

Two traditional leaders from Masvingo North constituency are reportedly forcing villagers to pay two goats or a US$70 fine for refusing to be under the leadership of ZANU PF imposed village heads.

The more than 60 families under chiefs Gurajena and Zimuto have also been forced to buy ZANU PF party cards or face eviction.

It is reported that the traditional leaders, Chief Gurajena and Chief Zimuto from Masvingo were impelled to demand the fines after the villagers from ward 1 in the same constituency were vehemently opposed to the imposition of village heads by ZANU PF officials from the province.

The villagers, who stay close to Gurajena Primary School, were also told that they may face eviction if they fail to buy ZANU PF party cards.

Masvingo North constituency falls under ZANU PF after Minister of Higher and Tertiary Education Stan Mudenge won in the 2008 harmonised elections beating the MDC-T candidate Wilstaff Sitemere.

The ZANU PF officials led by former Central Committee member Clemency Makwarimba reportedly visited the villages in order to restructure the party's leadership at grassroots level but they faced resistance much to the displeasure of the chiefs.

The villagers have however, vowed to challenge the decision of the chiefs in courts since most of them are not able to raise the money or part with their livestock.
Traditional leaders meeting last month in Kariba resolved that President Robert Mugabe should rule for life.

Meanwhile war veterans from the same province led by one Murindi are moving around the Bikita West constituency harassing and threatening villagers forcing them to buy ZANU PF party cards.

The war veterans on Saturday November 6, 2010, gathered villagers in Bikita West's ward 13 at Mashavira village and threatened to "violently flush out" all MDC-T supporters from the area.

During the meeting the villagers were threatened with beatings and attacks worse than the 2008 election political violence. The villagers were also ordered to hold Zanu PF meetings every Wednesday to showcase their allegiance to the party up until the election time. All the people who were at the meeting were ordered to buy ZANU PF party cards and support the party's national conference set for next month

Murindi was also part of a the group of war veterans who was moving around Zaka and Bikita with war veterans leader Jabulani Sibanda allegedly threatening and harassing villagers into supporting ZANU PF.

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