ZANU-PF violence at Kadoma by-election
27 November, 2003
MDC vehicles impounded and later released, MDC Polling Agents arrested as Zanu PF sets bases 150 meters from polling stations in Kadoma
Three MDC campaign vehicles were impounded by the police and released after an hour yesterday, while over 30 MDC supporters, some of them polling agents, were picked up by police from the MDC Election Centre as Zanu PF is reportedly setting bases 150 metres from all polling stations to be used in the 29 and 30 November Kadoma parliamentary.
The MDC campaign team informed the police of their plan to carry out a door-to-door campaign in Ngezi, West View and Rimuka suburbs of Kadoma yesterday morning. However, police denied the MDC team the opportunity to carry out the planned door-to-door campaign, preferring that the MDC team could only distribute their campaign material by throwing the material from moving vehicles. The MDC team complied with the police instruction and distributed their fliers in moving vehicles before returning to the home of the MDC candidate in Eiffel Flats, which is being used as an election center as the MDC does not have offices in Kadoma. Police have approved the use of Mpandawana's home as the MDC Election Centre for purposes of the parliamentary by-election.
While the vehicles were parked at the Election Centre, police came and impounded three of the vehicles after receiving false reports from Zanu PF that the MDC campaign team had gone about beating up people. After investigating the issue, police later discovered that instead, Zanu PF youths had attacked people who were reading fliers dropped by the MDC campaign team. Four Kadoma residents confirmed to the police at Rimuka Police Station that Zanu PF had attacked them after they were seen reading fliers dropped from the MDC vehicles. The Zanu PF youths had claimed to police that the four were MDC supporters who they had caught assaulting residents. The four and the MDC vehicles were later released after the police established that the Zanu PF youths were fabricating stories when they were the culprits. Non of the Zanu PF youths were arrested.
At about 11.00am yesterday, Zanu PF youths traveling in four trucks attacked the home of Newton Muparaganda, the MDC Chairman for ward 5 in Rimuka suburb. Several windows to the house were shuttered while a minibus parked in the yard received several dents after it was attacked with stones.
At about 2.30pm, two Zanu PF vehicles besieged MDC vehicles carrying youths who were putting up Charles Mpandawana's campaign posters. Police had granted the MDC permission to put up their campaign posters. The occupants of the Zanu PF vehicles started attacking the MDC youths, who repelled the attackers. Police then went to the MDC Election Centre where they arrested over 30 people, some of them polling agents who were receiving orientation. At the time of writing, non of the arrested MDC members had been released.
Meanwhile, Zanu PF militia are setting up bases 150 metres from all polling stations from which they will carry out their intimidatory activities. Reports received indicate that Zanu PF is encouraging all its supporters to go and vote on the first day of elections. On the second day of elections, the youths will seal off all entrances to polling stations, attacking anyone who is seen going to vote in order to reduce the MDC vote.
In the past, Zanu PF has used such bases to perpetuate electoral malpractices such as blocking known MDC activists from entering polling stations, distributing food to residents shortly before and on polling days, offering intending voters refreshments, recording people's names as they come to polling stations and asking them to come back and give the serial numbers of their ballot papers after voting.
While police have been informed of these bases and have not yet taken action, we still hope that they will move in and disband these bases in order to allow a free and fair election.
The MDC is appealing to human rights organizations as well as the diplomatic community to send people to Kadoma see for themselves the situation on the ground.
People of Kadoma are encouraged to turn out in their thousands and demonstrate that elections are not won by violence and cheap politicking.
Details of developments taking place in Kadoma can be obtained by phoning the MDC election center on 26427 (Kadoma callers), 068 26427 (Zimbabwean callers outside Kadoma) and 263 68 26427 (International callers)
MDC Information and Publicity Department
Zimbabwe Information Cetnre Inc, PO Box K824, Haymarket NSW 1240, Australia. http://www.zic.com.au; info@zic.com.au
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