Movement For Democratic Change
Briefing Note
16 March 2004
For Further Information Please Contact:
Nkanyiso Maqeda, MDC Director of Information: 00263 91 248 570
James Littleton: 00 27 727 310 554
Quote
“Today thousands of our children are trapped in government and Zanu PF camps, receiving training in terror…The idea is to turn them into a totally wicked generation, a generation without hope, a generation without morals, and a generation devoid of conscience”, said MDC President, Morgan Tsvangirai (9 March)
Political Violence/Intimidation
Playing With Fire
The newly formed Zimbabwe Institute last week launched a report entitled ‘Playing with Fire’ which documents acts of state sponsored violence perpetrated against 78 individuals over the past four years. 50 of the accounts provided are from current MDC MPs whilst the other 28 accounts are from among the 63 individuals who stood as candidates for the MDC in the June 2000 parliamentary election.
The report, which was researched and compiled on the ZI’s behalf by independent human rights consultants, provides a shocking reminder of the Mugabe regime’s addiction to violence and its unwavering commitment to cow and subdue the MDC through a sustained campaign of violence and intimidation against its leadership, its legislators and broad support base. Some of the salient statistics and research findings contained in the report are listed below:
1. The 78 individuals interviewed reported a total of 616 instances of human rights violations against themselves or those close to them
2. More than 90% of MPs reported human rights violations against themselves
3. 24% of MPs reported surviving assassination attempts
4. 16% of MPs interviewed have been the victims of torture.
5. 3 MPs who were the victims of vicious assaults have subsequently died
6. 50% have had their property vandelised or destroyed
7. 60% of MPs reported arrest and detention.
8. 22% reported physical assaults on members of their families
9. 3 MPs have had members of their staff brutally murdered
10. 32% of candidates reported assaults
11. 22% of candidates reported surviving murder attempts
12. 50% of violations are attributed by MPs to the police, CIO and army combined
Teacher Attacked
Morris Salani, a teacher at a school in Mutare, was last week beaten up in front of his pupils by members of the Zanu PF youth militia who accused him of supporting the MDC.
MDC Official Arrested
Isaac Muzimba, MDC Chairperson for Midlands North, was arrested on 15 March for warning MDC youths that Zanu PF would unleash a systematic campaign of violence in the build up to parliamentary elections next year. At the time of writing, Muzimba was still being detained.
More Police Harassment
Police in Bulawayo have recently been harassing MDC officials and members by demanding personal information relating to their political history and details of the party’s grassroots membership
Rural Schools Targeted
Teachers in rural areas are under renewed assault from Zanu PF structures, who regard teachers as generally being sympathetic towards the MDC. Over the past four years scores of teachers have been subjected to brutal beatings on the grounds of their perceived opposition to Zanu PF.
According to a recent article in the Zimbabwe Standard, Zanu PF youths are currently targeting teachers in the rural areas of Masvingo province. The youths are allegedly forcing teachers to form political branches at their schools in order to demonstrate loyalty to Zanu PF. This is clearly part of Zanu PF’s plan to silence and eradicate suspected voices of support for the MDC in rural areas ahead of next year’s parliamentary elections. Much of rural Zimbabwe, in particular in Mashonaland, has now been sealed off by Zanu PF youth militia, preventing the MDC from conducting any form of campaigning or carrying out basic party activities.
New Dimension to Zanu PF Campaign Tactics
According to recent press reports, the Zimbabwe Liberators’ Peace Initiative (an organisation comprised of former freedom fighters) has produced a detailed document exposing attempts by Zanu PF to distort the electoral process in rural areas by increasing the number of headmen in charge of villages and using youth militia as neighbourhood watch-men. Through this additional structure to its framework of repression, the ZPLI claims that Zanu PF will be able to ensure that nearly every house in a village will be monitored and accounted for, rendering it virtually impossible for the opposition to campaign.
Zengeza By-Election
The build up to the Zengeza by-election, scheduled to be held on 27 & 28 March, has been characterised by the traditional Zanu PF campaign tactics of violence and coercion. As the poll draws nearer the acts of violence being perpetrated by Zanu PF supporters, in particular the notorious youth militia, appears to be intensifying. Camps have been set up within the constituency from where Zanu PF supporters plan and co-ordinate their violent assaults on the innocent electorate. Listed below are examples of violence by Zanu PF in Zengeza, acts of violence that have gone unpunished by the police:
6 March: An MDC supporter, identified as Chikemu, was admitted to hospital after being brutally assaulted by Zanu PF militia
7 March: A campaign rally which was supposed to be addressed by the MDC President and the MDC Secretary General, had to cancelled after the venue was invaded by 300 members of the Zanu PF youth militia.
9 March: Zanu PF militia attacked and injured 3 MDC activists who were disseminating election material in Unit K.
10 March: Scores of MDC activists were attacked by over 100 Zanu PF youths armed with sticks and chains. The house of MDC candidate James Makore was attacked and anyone seen nearby was viciously assaulted by the marauding Zanu PF gang. An MDC youth, Enock Mukudu, was abducted by Zanu PF youth and forced to pay $30,000 to secure his release. Having paid his abductors the ransom he was then stabbed in the left arm and severely beaten.
The Zengeza by-election is demonstrating once again the extent to which Mugabe and Zanu PF are flagrantly violating the SADC Protocol vis-à-vis the conduct of elections, a protocol to which the Zimbabwe government is a signatory. The MDC continues to be denied access to the voters’ roll, state media remains the exclusive domain of the ruling party, MDC campaign efforts are frustrated by a politicised police force whilst the Zanu PF youth militia are permitted to intimidate and attack voters without fear of prosecution. This sort of political environment precludes a free and fair election. Cognisant of this factor, the MDC through its National Executive, recently resolved to reserve the party’s right to take part in the 2005 parliamentary election unless there is a commitment by Mugabe and Zanu PF to administer and manage the poll in accordance with SADC norms and standards. The 15 conditions articulated by the MDC National Executive are set out in the table below.
1. The establishment of a genuinely independent electoral commission that will be responsible for the running of the entire election and entire electoral process
2. The exclusion of partisan officials, such as the present Registrar General of elections and members of the military, from being involved in the running of elections
3. A completely fresh voter registration exercise, conducted by the Independent Electoral Commission with the assistance of the United Nations
4. The supply of an electronic (computer data base) copy of the voters’ roll to all political parties and interested persons
5. The repeal of those aspects of the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act (AIIPA) that curtail media freedoms
6. The repeal of those aspects of the Public order and Security Act (POSA) that curtail the freedom of political parties to campaign
7. The amendment of the Electoral Act so that it conforms with those aspects of the SADC Parliamentary Forums’ ‘Electoral Norms and Standards’ not specifically referred to elsewhere in our 15 conditions
8. The reversal of administrative decisions that have resulted in the closure of the Daily News and the removal of all obstacles preventing the Daily News and other newspapers from operating freely
9. The liberalisation of the broadcasting media and the opening up of state media to carry equal amounts of coverage of all parties electoral messages pro-rata to the percentage of votes they secured in the last parliamentary election (June 2000)
10. The complete disbanding of the youth militia
11. The use of translucent plastic ballot boxes of secure, single-piece, construction
12. The establishment of a sufficient number of polling stations in order to ensure that voting can be completed within one day
13. Unhindered access to the entire electoral process by international, regional and domestic observer missions
14. That all counting of ballots takes place at polling stations in the mandatory presence of polling agents and observers
15. The use of visible, indelible ink, to identify those who have voted.
General News
Food Crisis
In its latest report, the Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWSNET) said that it expected Zimbabwe to experience a cereal deficit of between 500,000 and 800,000 metric tonnes during the next 12 months.
A report published by the Zimbabwe Vulnerability Assessment Committee has warned that 2.5 million urban Zimbabweans are now experiencing chronic food shortages and that an estimated 72% of the urban population were now living below the poverty datum line, a figure that had doubled since 1995.
Alleged Confessions Rejected
Judge Sandra Mungwira has rejected the alleged confessions of six MDC activists accused of killing war veteran Cain Nkala in 2001. Mungwira ruled that the police had assaulted the six and their relatives, deprived them of sleep and food, threatened them with guns and denied them medical attention and access to lawyers. Lawyers acting for the accused will now ask the state to withdraw the charges.
Banking Crisis
Chronic liquidity problems, which are posing a real threat to the stability of the Zimbabwe banking sector, recently accounted for the closure of the Intermarket Building Society, a development which, according to media reports, could delay thousands of civil servants from accessing their March salaries.
END
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