2.3 Povincial Highlights Mashonaland Central “Prepare for the worst” The highlight in the hotbed of political violence, Mashonaland Central, is the parceling out of land by dodgy individuals claiming to be representing ZanuPF. A group of people identifying themselves as the war veterans of ZanuPF are operating in Mazowe North making announcements to the effect that there is land in Mutorashanga for allocation to party supporters. ZIMBABWE PEACE PROJECT MONTHLY MONITORING REPORT JULY 2021 They are allegedly asking potential beneficiaries to declare allegiance to ZanuPF, pay USD 20.00 and boom, one gets 15 hectares of land. This may as well be one of ZanuPF’s strategies to get the ambitious five million votes at all costs. In this political hotbed ZPP continued to record cases of intimidation and harassment of citizens by ruling ZanuPF politicians. For example, on 24 July in Mazowe West Ward 15 at Dandamera Township ZanuPF Councillor Peter Chinyoka, summoned beneficiaries to a community distribution of maize. In his address the councilor warned the beneficiaries that the ‘only candidate’ they were supposed to vote for in 2023 is President Mnangagwa in appreciation for the food aid. Chinyoka said only those who had received the COVID-19 vaccine would receive food hand-outs in the next distribution. In another incident in Mt Darwin South at Chomagora village a self-claimed war collaborator Zephania Shoniwa warned MDC Alliance supporters to ‘prepare for the worst in 2023’. This is not a political threat to be taken lightly considering that Mt Darwin is one of the areas where some of the worst forms of political brutality take place during election time. In Mazowe South in Glendale, ZanuPF activists, led by one Chifunje, were moving around recording personal details of residents. They were collecting details that include ID numbers, dates of birth, ZanuPF membership card numbers, voter registration details, physical addresses and cell 10

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