#PROVINCIAL OUTLOOK
MASVINGO
Masvingo Province was a hype
of political activities and once
again, Zanu PF politicians
abused their authority by
bringing in the police into
factional fights.
There were marked incidents
resulting from factional
squabbles in Zanu PF in Chivi,
Gutu and Masvingo Urban.
In Chivi, the party’s District
Coordinating Committee
elections, previously postponed
six times due to violence,
continued at Masunda South
School, and MP Ephraim
Gwanongodza, brought in the
police. There were
disagreements over the type of
ballot paper to be used and once
again, the elections did not take
off.
The partisan distribution of aid
continued in the province. In
Gutu North, ward 8, the
councillor, Lazarus Hute and his
Zanu PF committee allegedly
distributed 10kg bags each of
maize seed and fertilizers to
Zanu PF supporters only. The
Councillor and his committee
then allocated themselves four
bags of fertilizers each.
MIDLANDS
In the Midlands province,
intimidation of opponents by
Zanu PF members remained
high. In Gokwe North, Chireya,
Zaranyika village, Tendai
Marovanidze, reportedly moved
around the area intimidating
people claiming to be a party
informer sent to communicate
the information about those
engaging in opposition political
activity. Marovanidze would
reportedly record videos, audios
or take pictures as part of
evidence.
MASHONALAND EAST
There was an increase in cases
of intimidation and inequality
and discrimination and the
political space for opposition
activism continued to narrow.
Zanu PF activists reportedly
blocked members of the newly
formed party United Zimbabwe
Alliance from mobilising
supporters.
On 20 December, in Chikomba
West at High-view shops about
100 villagers convened to receive
government funded inputs. It is
alleged that, the distribution was
done on partisan lines and
beneficiaries were only those
that had signed up for the Zanu
PF cells. There was a stampede
when an angry crowd of people
who had been denied access to
the inputs stormed the truck
carrying the inputs and police
had to be called in.
MANICALAND
In Manicaland like the other
province, there was significant
political activity within the
Zanu PF party, which was
holding its internal elections
for provincial chairpersons
countrywide.
The factional fights resulted in
some violent confrontations
pitting supporters from rival
factions and in one incident, a
Zanu PF member destroyed a
house belonging to another
member in Buhera North ward 9,
Chitanda village.
The victim, who is visually
impaired, was accused by
supporters of sitting Buhera
North MP William Mutomba, of
belonging to Mutomba’s
prospective challenger for the
2023 elections, Phillip Guyo.
The Zanu PF squabbles also
extended to the food aid
distribution and at Gaza
Township, Ward 10, Buhera
North, some beneficiaries’
names were missing from the
distribution list, and the
Agricultural Extension officer
responsible for the distribution
was accused of taking sides in
the Zanu PF factional wars. This
indicates how Zanu PF has
completely hijacked the aid
distribution processes and
usurped the role of government
officials who are supposed to
serve everyone regardless of
political affiliation.
MASHONALAND CENTRAL
Mashonaland Central province
remained a political hotspot of
human rights violations. The
province continued to record
clashes during the Zanu PF
Provincial Committee elections
and an increase in cases of
partisan distribution of
Pfumvudza presidential inputs
meant to boost Zimbabwe food’s
security. In some other
communities villagers
complained that the government
failed to avail farming inputs on
time for them to cultivate early
before the farming season. This
year the inputs distributed by
the government were reportedly
not enough for everyone to
benefit hence many people had
to buy inputs on their own. In
Bindura north in some wards 5
people had to share a bag of
fertilizer and a 10kg of maize
seed. The inputs were not
enough to cater for all
beneficiaries. In Mazowe South
in some wards, people who had
prepared their land anticipating
to receive pfumvunza farming
inputs did not benefit. The duty
bearers resposible for compiling
names told them that they
registered late for the program.