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intimidation and violence with 2 days to go before poll
Tichaona Sibanda, SW Radio Africa
July 29, 2013
http://www.swradioafrica.com/2013/07/29/more-intimidation-and-violence-with-2-days-to-go-before-poll/
The MDC-T has
raised concern that their supporters are being increasingly intimidated
ahead
of Wednesday’s crucial elections.
Nelson Chamisa,
the party national organising secretary, said there has been lot
of intimidation against their supporters in Mudzi, Mberengwa, Gutu
and other parts of Masvingo province.
In Mudzi, Chamisa
said Zanu-PF has resuscitated its bases where their supporters are
being forced to attend meetings against their will.
In Manicaland
there are reports that Zanu-PF is now employing various intimidation
tactics, where known perpetrators of the 2008 poll violence are
threatening to beat up or even kill those who will not vote for
Mugabe in Wednesday’s polls.
In Mberengwa,
Biggie Chitoro, the notorious war veterans’ leader who caused
terror in the district during the 2008
elections is reportedly roaming around threatening villagers
that he will deal with them if they vote for the MDC-T.
For two months
after the March 2008 polls, the country was consumed by violence
and forced evictions. The Zanu-PF militia, aided by the partisan
security forces cracked down on known MDC supporters, killing over
500, maiming thousands more and forced half a million others from
their homes.
Surprisingly
nobody has yet been convicted by the courts. Human rights activists
routinely point out that no Zanu-PF activists, party members, armed
state security agents or ministers or generals who incited and funded
the trigger-happy gangs have been held to account to the bloody
violence five years ago.
Since 2000,
after the formation of the MDC, elections in Zimbabwe have been
divisive and violent. There have been disturbances in 2002, and
again in 2005 before 2008 exploded.
SW Radio
Africa is Zimbabwe's Independent Voice and broadcasts on Short Wave
4880 KHz in the 60m band.
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