A Youth Officer named Mashopani who is resident in ward 28 Masvingo south is
reported to be forcing villagers to attend Zanu PF ideological lessons every
Wednesday afternoon. The affected villages are Mhokore, Bhudha and Todzanai. The
Youth Officer is being aided by a war veteran named Madzivire and Village Head
Mudzimba. The actors are claiming that they are teaching people how to vote, yet
voter education is supposed to be the preserve of Zimbabwe Electoral Commission
and those that they allow to conduct these on their behalf. The whole program of
forcing people to assemble against their will is a direct violation of their freedom of
assembly and association.
Matabeleland South
There was a generally quiet situation in the province during the month of June. Political
parties had low profile meetings with no major incidents. Villagers have been scouting for
survival means as they faced hunger. Shortage of drinking water was another source of
concern as most boreholes ran dry.
One case of police brutality was recorded when a police officer seriously assaulted a motorist
at a roadblock in Mzingwane.
Highlights
On 3 June an as yet unidentified motorist was seriously assaulted by a police officer at
a roadblock at Mawabeni in Umzingwane after failing to pay a spot fine. The police
officer dragged him out of the car and beat him up as the wife of the victim screamed
attracting church congregants from a nearby church. When the church goers rushed
there they found the man unconscious and phoned Esigodini police who came and
arrested the police officer and took the man to hospital.
Mrs Mavis Mabhena* a well-known human rights activist who was employed under
the food for work program funded by World vision was dismissed from the program
by Village head Mathezi Nyoni on 5 June in Gwanda North. The village head had
always accused her of being an opposition party member. It was alleged that she was
an MDC-T activist. So when she fell sick he immediately replaced her.
Matabeleland North
Violations were mainly noted in incidences of discrimination, freedom of association. In
Tsholotsho North well known perpetrators Jones Mutasa and Clement Mkandla of the G40
faction of ZanuPF believed to curry favour from the First Lady Grace Mugabe barred
members of the opposition access to food on political grounds.
In Binga North some villages heads aligned to MDC-T were reportedly excluded from a
peace building workshop by a ZanuPF aligned village head under Chief Saba.
Political parties held low level meetings and no violations were reported.
Highlights
At a meeting held at Nkayi High School on 17 June, District Chairperson Phibion
Kamera Nhundura claimed he wanted Rural District Council Chief Executive Officer
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