10 | MONTHLY MONITORING REPORT
APRIL 2024
Bulawayo
Matabeleland North
On 27 April at ZITF grounds, it was
reported
that
ZANU
PF
activist
identified
as
Robin
Mhlophe
manhandled Dumisani Dube when he
highlighted that Mnangagwa has failed
the nation in addressing the economic
situation. It is said that Mhlophe initially
slapped Dube for such utterances and
later manhandled him with the aim to
get him arrested. Dube was later released
after several Mhlophe' friends pleaded to
have Dube released.
On 21 April, in Ward 1 in the Central
Business Unit, it was reported that
Bulawayo
Municipal
Police
(BMP)
manhandled Malfort Moyo as they were
confiscating property of some vendors
who are said to be operating illegally.
The
BMP
manhandled
the
trio,
confiscated the property, and later
arrested them. While it is true that some
vendors are operating illegally, there is
no point in manhandling them.
On 1 April at ward 5 of Tsholotsho North,
a
ZANU PF activist and war veteran
Clement Mkandla threatened to dissolve
the School Development Committee of
Gwaai Primary School on the basis that it
is flooded with members of the Citizen
Coalition for Change (CCC). Mkandla also
threatened to organise a militia to beat up
Cabangani Ncube who was elected as the
Chairperson of the school. Politicisation
of school positions has been on the
increase in the area. There are heightened
tensions in the ward and constituency as
the ruling party lost the constituency to
the Citizen Coalition for Change.
On 20 April at ward 5 of Tsholotsho
North at Tshino village, it was noted that
a ZANU PF activist identified as Martin
Moyo told villagers that those that
observed 2023 elections for CCC party
have been removed from the list of those
receiving aid.
Midlands
Mashonaland West
On 6 April, ZANU PF activists threatened
to beat up opposition members and
villagers who failed to contribute to the
independence celebrations in Gokwe
Chireya. Lucas Muchenje of the ruling
party told villagers that food aid was
only meant for ruling party members,
and those without a political party
needed to join the party to be given
food.
A
pro-Chamisa
activist
was
assaulted in Chiwundura ward 6, by
ZANU PF members led by Leonard
Chiriga. The victim was accused of
discouraging people from attending
Independence Day celebrations. The
victim was slapped on the face and
instructed to join the ruling party.
Another pro-Chamisa supporter, escaped
an attack from ZANU PF supporters in
Gweru, Senga, for expressing his views
regarding the economic situation.
In Chegutu West, a notorious gang of
ZANU PF youths, known for terrorising
opposition members during elections,
barricaded the roads, asking transport
operators to pay subscriptions or use
alternative routes. There have been
incidents of discrimination during a
community distribution of food aid in
areas such as Hurungwe West, Zvimba
South and Kadoma Central. CCC activists
constituted the majority of citizens
denied food aid. In Zvimba North
legislator
Marian
Chombo
advised
headmen in ward 13 to collect USD $1.00
from villagers per household, claiming
that the monies would cater for transport
costs for villagers expecting to receive
food assistance (Maize).