Tukisai Chodewa refused to get the forms saying he did not want to be involved in
politics. Ward 16 Zanu-PF chairperson, Milton Mupangure, said Chodewa must be
arrested as he had violated the “policy” of the party. He said the "policy” of Zanu-PF
was that all village heads in the country work with the ruling party. Kraal head
Chinake also refused the forms and the two Chodewa and Chinake were told that they
were to attend a “disciplinary” hearing for refusing the forms. The date for the hearing
had not been set at the time of going to print.
On 10 March 2016, at a field day event held at Machiki Irrigation Scheme in Ward 21
Svosve in Marondera East, the recently installed Chief Svosve (Kumuziva Sakirai
aged 30) allegedly, openly told the gathered crowd that he was a Zanu-PF member. In
his statement he insinuated that all chiefs should support the Zanu-PF party as the
only well directed political party unlike other parties that lacked direction. The chief
urged all of his subordinates to support the party and dump all other parties.
On 15 March 2016, in Ward 8, Matitsi in Seke there was a MDC-T meeting. MDC-T
president, Morgan Tsvangirai, was expected to attend the meeting. Zanu-PF youths
allegedly organized to disrupt the meeting by harassing MDC-T supporters. It is
alleged that MDC-T youths mobilized a counter-attack and reportedly assaulted ZanuPF youths and chased them away. The police had to be called from Dema to contain
the situation. The meeting continued after the MDC-T leaders arrived. Vehicles
belonging to Zanu-PF youths were damaged in the chaos. When ZPP called,
Zimbabwe Republic Police Mashonaland East Province, Assistant Inspector Tendai
Mwanza denied there was ever such an incident. On the other hand the MDC-T
spokesperson, Obert Gutu, told ZPP that while he could not independently verify this
specific incident, incidents of such a nature were very common.
On 18 March 2016, in Mudzi West at Nyagupe Village, Ward 8 Blessing Zindoga, the
Zanu-PF ward security person called for a meeting. He intimidated all villagers telling
them that their names were going to be written down if they attended a planned MDCT meeting. He warned that he was going to do what he did in 2008. He claimed that
he would not be arrested as the Zanu-PF party was above the law. The villagers
feared for their lives.
Residents in Svosve communal area in Ward 19 of Marondera East constituency were
reportedly complaining about the Zanu-PF campaign meetings which are scheduled to
happen on a weekly basis. The meetings are dubbed structural membership reviews by
the party district committee. It is alleged that there are party registers compiled to
check membership attendance during every meeting. Most people attend the meetings
due to fear.
On 19 March 2016, Gift Midzi, a Zanu-PF activist allegedly stood guard waiting for
people who would go and attend an MDC-T meeting at Rudhaka Stadium in
Marondera Central. Midzi reportedly threatened people that if they attended the
meeting he was going to kill them. Not many people attended the meeting due to
victimization.
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