Zimbabwe -- Political violence on the rise

Zimbabwe Daily News ^ | January 16, 2004

[Clive]

OPPOSITION party officials and representatives of human rights groups this week said Zimbabwe was experiencing an upsurge in political intimidation and violence as the country heads for next year's elections.

The officials said there had been reports of increased political violence and intimidation since President Robert Mugabe urged supporters of his ruling ZANU PF to begin preparing for next year's polls.

An official with the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), Zimbabwe's main opposition party, said: "Already, one person was killed in Shamva, Mashonaland Central, a teacher was kidnapped in Rusape while another of our members was kidnapped in the Midlands capital of Gweru."

The opposition party official added: "The ZANU PF supporters took Mugabe's statements as a signal that opposition members and perceived MDC members should be intimidated.

"They have gone on a rampage around the country. They want to keep people in a permanent state of fear so that they know no other party except ZANU PF."

It was not possible to secure comment on the allegations from ZANU PF or the police.

However, Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights director Anorld Tsunga confirmed that there had been an upsage in political violence in Zimbabwe in the past few weeks.

He said: "The escalation of political violence is obviously related to next year's parliamentary elections.

"We have received a lot of complaints about political victimisation from different parts of the country, including Macheke, and Chimanimani."

Sources said there had been reports of opposition supporters' houses being burnt down, while in the towns of Kadoma and Chegutu, suspected ruling party youths had reportedly assaulted clients at up-market bars.

A proprietor of a pub in Chegutu said: "Drunken ruling party youths invade upmarket pubs where they start singing revolutionary songs. They don't buy beer in pubs, but move around with containers of opaque traditional beer which they consume at the pubs."

Elections held in Zimbabwe in the past three years have been marred by political violence and voter intimidation, mostly blamed on ruling party supporters.

As a result, the MDC challenged in the courts the results of the 2002 presidential election, as well as the 2000 general election results of several constituencies.

[Clive]

Of course with the foreign press excluded and the domestic press subject to arrest on trunped-up charges at random intervals, the election will get less scrutiny than it did the last time.

But we can rely on South Africa to declare that. while the election is not free and fair, it is nevertheless "legitimate by African standards".

[Clive]

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[Dante3]

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