community events. Karenga confirmed to ZPP that he was being targeted and
discriminated against because of his political affiliation.
Mashonaland East
During the period under review the province had reports of people being forced to contribute
towards the Independence Day celebrations. In Svosve communal areas wards 19 and 20
people only learnt after the celebrations that most of the food was donated by Member of
Parliament for the constituency, Jeremiah Chiwetu, after every household had contributed a
dollar. While in most areas village heads forced people to contribute towards Independence it
was a different case in Hwedza South where village heads defended their people. In Mutoko
members of ZimPF were arrested for holding a rally to fill gaps in their structures but were
later released without charges being preferred against them. Partisan distribution of food is
still prevalent in the province with reports from Goromonzi South where beneficiaries were
forced to buy Zanu-PF membership cards for them to access food. In Murehwa North, a
People’s Democratic Party (PDP) member was denied access to food from the social
welfare for supporting a different political party.
Highlights:
On 3 April 2016, in Marondera Central, Tendai Nungu (not real name) of MDC-T
refused to board a bus to Heroes Acre in Dombotombo, which he was being forced to
board by Gift Midzi of Zanu-PF. He was then assaulted by Midzi resulting in him
suffering a broken leg. It is reported that the victim’s leg was broken at several
points.
On 10 April 2016, people in Hwedza North were told to pay US$0.50 as transport for
maize. People paid money thinking that they were going to get maize. On 15 April
2016 people were told to top up another US$0.50 to make it a dollar for Independence
Day celebrations. The Zanu-PF party district coordinating committee chairperson,
Peter Chigodora gave the instruction throughout the Hwedza District. All cell leaders
in Hwedza North among them, Philip Ben and Barry Chimusipu, were tasked with
collecting the contributions. People were forced to contribute after being threatened
that if they did not pay they were not going to get maize. The celebrations were
attended by mainly school children and very few adults at Hwedza Centre. There
were a lot of food leftovers due to low attendance.
On 15 April 2016, in Ward 20 Mutoko South at the town centre, ZimPF supporters
had booked to have a rally to fill the gaps in their party structures but the police
refused to clear them on several occasions. On this day they met at Mutoko dip tank
but they did not know that a Zanu-PF youth chairperson Jembere had connived with
the police. The police in the company of Jembere stormed the meeting and arrested
Foya and ten others. The rest escaped and sustained injuries in the process. The
victims were forced to fill in the party structure form inside the Criminal Investigation
Department office to enable the police to know the identities of people in those
positions. ZimPF youth leader Prosper Gavanga confirmed the incident to ZPP.
16 April 2016, John Kadera (former MDC-T candidate in 2008) wanted to go to a
Zanu-PF meeting at Makaha Primary School in Ward 14, Mudzi South. He was asked
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