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Statement on Zanu PF's call for its members to have stickers on their homes
Zimbabwe Peace Project (ZPP)
November 23, 2012

The Zimbabwe Peace Project learnt with shock in one of the papers that Zanu PF intends to mark its members' houses with stickers. ZPP finds this move rather objectionable.

From history one would understand that during the Second World War, Jewish homes and businesses - and then the people themselves - were daubed with the "Star of David" and hated by their communities.

Addressing a Zanu PF inter-district meeting held at Masvingo Teachers' College last week, Masvingo provincial party chairperson, Lovemore Matuke is reported to have said that it was mandatory for every Zanu PF supporter to have the sticker for "easy identification".

"You are supposed to have stickers at every household so that we identify you," said Matuke. "Our real supporters should have them wedged at their places. If you do not have that sticker at your place, you will be skipped," he said.

The story also reveals that those with stickers on their doors would get freebies from Zanu PF as the party dishes out goodies in return for votes ahead of next year's elections.

ZPP sees this as a direct move to harass and intimidate the electorate on the eve of a very crucial election.

The Zanu PF party has in the past used freebies such as food and agricultural inputs to lure voters. As ZPP, we realize that people's rights are going to be violated as a result of this proposed Zanu PF identification process.

There is no doubt that those stickers would be used to identify people who do not support Zanu PF, who would then be victimized during and after the elections. The whole move is designed to instill fear in the hearts and minds of the electorate and violates the people's freedoms of association and the rights to freely choose a political party of their choice.

The move should be condemned with the contempt it deserves as it makes a fallacy of the secret ballot.

The ZPP remains committed to continue fighting for the protection and promotion of human rights in Zimbabwe through monitoring and documenting politically motivated human rights violations throughout the country.

ZPP calls on all the parties to the inclusive government to strongly consider the lives and welfare of the people before, during and after the elections in 2013.

Visit the ZPP fact sheet

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