Mash East
Ø
Harassment/intimidation
Assault
Theft/Looting
Discrimination
Unlawful Detention
Total
Assault
Discrimination
Right to personal integrity and human dignity
Right to liberty and security of person
Property rights
Right to food, aid and livelihood
Right to Liberty
Harassment/Intimidation
Unlawful Detention
Displacement
Right to personal integrity and human dignity
Right to Liberty
Right to Property
Right to liberty and security of person
Right to food, aid and livelihood
Total
26
2
1
5
1
35
1
3
15
1
1
21
Ø
Ø
Masvingo
Mash West
Ø
Harassment/Intimidation
Right to personal integrity and human dignity
11
Discrimination
Right to food, aid and livelihood
2
Assault
Total
Right to personal integrity and human dignity
1
14
6
Ø
Ø
On 14 February, an MDC-T activist of Mvurwi Township Mazowe North was
ordered to remove her red MDC-T regalia at Shamwari Joe Hotel in Mvurwi by
Action Mubaiwa a Zanu PF Chairperson. The victim wanted to celebrate
Valentine’s Day in style by putting on red.
Despite the hype in political activities around the preparations for President
Robert Mugabe’s 90th birthday celebrations in the province, the number of
politically motivated human rights violations remained relatively low. 35
incidents were witnessed in February as compared to the January figure of 26.
As a result of the preparations people including school teachers were subjected
to various forms of harassment such as being forced to contribute money
ranging from $1 up to $5 towards the celebrations bash. Some were forced to
attend. People from Marondera district were forced to walk all the way from
their villages about 6km or more to the venue.
Mashonaland West province continued to experience politically motivated
human rights violations mostly perpetrated by Zanu PF supporters towards
suspected MDC-T activists. ZANU PF has already started to organise people
into cells and people are forced to be part of this process. There are intra-party
conflicts in both MDC-T and ZANU PF that have been recorded.
The operating environment has become tense as the Central Intelligence
Organisation (CIO) has established sub offices in Makonde, Mhangura and
Zvimba districts to monitor the activities of Non-Governmental Organisations.
Youths have been recruited as monitors of Zanu PF who attend NGO activities
as ordinary people and later write reports. They get contact details for people
during workshop registration and follow up on some people.
Despite the levels of politically motivated violence remaining relatively low, the
operating environment for NGOs in the governance and democracy sector
remains tense as the authorities insist on signing of MOUs and presentation of
activity plans for the year. Security agents have also renewed their interest in
NGO activities.
A Zanu PF supporter identified as Benjamin Muondoni threatened to beat up an
MDC-T activist who had queried why Zanu PF were abusing aid meant for
villagers by denying access to perceived opposition supporters on 19 February
at Chitowa Business Centre in Chivi. The MDC-T activist who refused to
withdraw the accusation was beaten with fists and sustained an injury to his left
eye. He did not report to the police as he thought the perpetrator would not be
arrested anyway.