reported in May alone representing 20% of the total cases. These statistics are in tandem with the
general trend of violence recorded in the province with the majority of such cases emanating from
the volatile Hurungwe West constituency. A new phenomenon observed in May is that the majority
of the victims of violence are Zanu PF. Traditionally, the majority of victims of political violence have
been from the opposition MDC-T but with the increasing intra party conflict in Zanu PF, there is a
reversal of this trend. The statistics from May also denote an unusually high number of “unknown”
victims (332).This reflects the general culture of fear that is in the country. It has been noted that for
some reason victims are afraid of identifying or stating their political affiliation for fear of further
persecution.
There is a disturbing trend noticed across the country of people being forced to attend political
meetings organized by the ruling party. Every Zimbabwean has the right to freely associate and
assemble without coercion. Section 58 of the Constitution clearly outlines that no person may be
compelled to belong to an association or to attend a meeting or gathering. Another disturbing trend
noted in the run up to the by-elections has been the use of food to coerce people to attend political
meetings. It was reported across the constituencies where elections were being held that politicians
were using food especially rice to reward those who attended their meetings and in some instances
they also distributed food to all villagers. The use of food compromises the integrity of the campaign
process as the use of food during campaigns is vote buying. The African Commission on Human and
Peoples’ Rights Principles and guidelines on the implementation of Economic, Social and Cultural
rights in the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights notes under Article 86 that States should
refrain from using access to food as a political tool to reward supporters, punish opponents or
recruit militias.
PROVINCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
Mashonaland West
Zanu PF mostly focused its attention on Hurungwe West by-election campaign because Mliswa a
former member of the party was contesting as an independent after being expelled from the party.
Hence, a lot of events occurred in Hurungwe West to scare voters from choosing Mliswa as their
legislator. The perpetrators targeted Mliswa’s properties and beginning of the month under review
Zanu PF supporters invaded his Spring farm in Karoi where nine farm workers were assaulted. Four
of the workers had to be hospitalised as a result of the injuries they sustained in the violence. Zanu
PF had also declared through its Secretary for Administration that if Mliswa valued his life he was
supposed to keep away from stepping his foot in the constituency. Although Mliswa and his teams
were eventually able to go back to the constituency barring them from the constituency was a
violation of their rights as contestants in the election. When the Mliswa campaign team eventually
managed to go back to the constituency they were arrested on a range of allegations ranging from
disrupting Zanu PF meetings and defacing posters of Zanu PF candidate Guzah.
On 4 May 2015, Headman Alick Mangisi who is reported to have been assaulted by suspected Zanu
PF youths in April at Nyamhunga School, is said to have been stripped of his title and was been
replaced by his brother Clever Munava Mangisi. At a ceremony held at Mangisi Village Ward 17 Chief
Nyamhunga said, ‘Tamubvisa nokuda kwekuti imbizi yabuda mune dzimwe saka yabatwa nembwa’
(We have removed him from the position because he is like a Zebra that has strayed and has been
caught by marauding dogs). Headman Alick Mangisi who did not attend the ceremony is accused of
supporting Mliswa. In contravention of the Constitution and the Traditional Leaders Act traditional
leaders in the constituency some against their will were forced to intimidate their villagers by
demanding that they be registered with the traditional leaders as would be voters in the upcoming
election. Most traditional leaders after witnessing the assault of some of their own had no choice
but follow the instructions given to the letter. Traditional leaders by doing this violated laws that
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