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Intimidation, harassment and assault of perceived opposition supporters
Media Monitoring Project Zimbabwe (MMPZ)
Extracted from Weekly Media Update 2004-34
Monday August 23 – Sunday August 29th 2004

THE decision by the opposition MDC to withdraw from any election until the country’s uneven electoral laws were reformed to meet SADC’s electoral guidelines was a highlight of the week under review. But while the government media savaged the MDC for being "afraid of democracy", those privileged to own short wave radios could hear reports of the continued intimidation, harassment and assault of perceived opposition supporters by suspected ruling party activists and state security agents.

However, as a result of government’s assault on public democratic discourse, Zimbabweans have fewer alternative sources of information to assist them in obtaining some informed reference to events of the day. In this case, only SW Radio Africa (27/8) followed up The Standard’s earlier story alleging that ZANU PF youths had attacked a traditional leader in Domboshava and confiscated his traditional badge of honour and other traditional regalia. The radio report claimed the youths had accused him of attending an MDC rally addressed by opposition party leader, Morgan Tsvangirai. The station quoted the traditional leader himself, although it did not make it clear whether the police had received such a report.

SW Radio Africa (24/8) had also reported that MDC activists had allegedly been assaulted by ZANU PF supporters in Wedza earlier in the week. The station quoted an MDC official saying the attacks occurred ahead of opposition party meetings between Tsvangirai and the party’s constituency officials. The assailants allegedly handed over one victim to the police, who in turn detained him "for his own protection". However, no comment was sought from the police. No other media reported this incident of political violence and as a result, most Zimbabweans who rely on domestic sources of information would never have known about it. Such a development is particularly worrying since a true picture of the tense political climate is no longer readily accessible to the public. MMPZ expects the few remaining independent sources of information operating within the country to ensure that these developments are given sufficient publicity to counter the inaccurate impressions of the government controlled media.

SW Radio Africa (27/8) also reported more allegations of gross human rights violations committed by state security forces. Relying on MDC officials and local residents, the station reported that soldiers in plain clothes had terrorised Mabvuku residents the previous evening. According to the report, the soldiers tried to prevent MDC youths putting up posters advertising an MDC rally. The soldiers later returned in trucks and indiscriminately assaulted residents, resulting in 16 people being picked up and taken to the NOCZIM military post where they were allegedly beaten up before "being dumped at Mabvuku police station". However, there was no indication whether the station attempted to obtain confirmation from the police themselves.

In the same bulletin, the station also reported that soldiers and police had harassed Porta Farm settlers resisting government eviction – a somewhat different story from that appearing in the government controlled media. It also emerged that violence was breaking out between different factions within the ruling party itself. For example, The Daily Mirror (27/8) and the Zimbabwe Independent (27/8) reported that supporters of ZANU PF’s Makoni North MP, Didymus Mutasa, had assaulted another ruling party member intent on challenging Mutasa in the party’s forthcoming primary elections.

Mutasa was quoted in both papers confirming the incident, but the government media simply ignored these reports.

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