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Human Rights Abuses
Media Monitoring Project Zimbabwe (MMPZ)
Extracted from Weekly Media Update 2004-14
Monday April 5th - Sunday April 11th 2004

On-going human rights violations continued to receive scant attention from the government media. As a result audiences of these media have largely remained in the dark on the violence, intimidation, and in some cases, torture of opposition supporters and their perceived sympathisers perpetrated by mainly suspected ZANU PF activists.

For example, out of about 37 stories on politically motivated violence and other human rights violations carried in the media in the week, only nine stories appeared in the government-controlled media.

Even then, the government media's stories were either basic announcements or follow-ups on previous rights abuses and generally lacked detail.

For example, ZTV (8/4, 7am) merely reported that government had set up a board of inquiry to investigate claims by "18 suspected terrorists that they were tortured by prison officers" without elaborating. In fact, instead of properly investigating the allegations, the national broadcaster ironically appeared more interested in articulating the concerns of Justice Minister Patrick Chinamasa about the circumstances under which the suspected terrorists' lawyer, Jonathan Samkange, "was able to interview his clients a few minutes after the alleged torture." The Herald (8/4) carried a similar report.

During the week, the government media also masked the political affiliation of Ernest Mutsotso whom they reported as having appeared in court after he was arrested on suspicion of murdering MDC activist Francis Chinozvinya during the Zengeza by-election when "MDC and ZANU PF youths clashed" (The Herald, 7/4, ZTV, 8/4, 8pm, Power FM and Radio Zimbabwe, 9/4, 6am). SW Radio Africa (7/4) and The Daily Mirror (8/4) also carried the story, and like the government media, did not identify the political party Mutsotso belonged. Neither did they give any background of the man.

This only appeared in The Tribune (9/4). The paper carried a front- page picture of Mutsotso standing behind Mines Minister Amos Midzi and noted in its caption that the suspect was a "former managing director of an ex-combatants run firm, Sankorp".

By comparison, The Herald (6/4) was categorical on the violence allegedly perpetrated by MDC supporters on their way to Chinozvinya's funeral. The paper claimed the MDC mourners had gone "on the rampage beating up anyone wearing the ruling Zanu PF party's regalia" and tearing down the posters of ZANU PF's victorious Zengeza candidate, Christopher Chigumba. But the paper made no attempt to investigate the circumstances leading to the alleged violence.

The private media carried a total of 28 stories depicting the deteriorating human rights situation in the country. Eighteen of these were reported by SW Radio Africa and Studio 7. For example, SW Radio Africa (6/4) reported that CIO agents in Mukumbwa, Mashonaland Central had abducted MDC district chairman for Mt Darwin North, Force Chapfuruka, after they accused him of "acting as an agent for the 70 suspected mercenaries who were arrested in Harare last month".

Further harassment and beatings of MDC members were reported in Victoria Falls, Sunningdale, Masvingo, Lupane, Chimanimani and Mutasa.

Meanwhile, the report of an investigation by the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Youth, Gender and Employment Creation into the National Youth Service training camps added a new dimension to the recent BBC Panorama documentary on the activities of the controversial youth camps that so enraged government.

The Zimbabwe Independent reported that the committee had "slammed living conditions at national youth training centres" saying they were "deplorable". A member of the committee, MDC MP Evelyn Masaiti, was quoted as saying "the principle of national youth service is noble in those countries where there is democracy" but "here in Zimbabwe the way it is used is that of oppressing the people".

In fact, The Financial Gazette quoted MDC MP Gabriel Chaibva revealing that the abuse of the youths by ZANU PF to silence its opponents was not a new idea in Zimbabwe. Chaibva reportedly told Parliament that he also underwent a similar training programme in one of the camps created soon after independence "at the behest of Didymus Mutasa, now State Minister in charge of anti-corruption".

Said Chaibva: "When we went there, we spent two weeks. We were taught how to deal with ZAPU and to kill opponents to ZANU PF's rule.in the 1980s. So the historical origin of this programme is very acquainted to me".

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