#PROVINCIAL OUTLOOK
In Mashonaland East CCC
supporters were also the
main target for political
persecution. The major
highlight was in Murehwa
North where suspected
Zanu PF youths torched the
house of a family whose
head was accused for
participating in the previous
elections as an MDC
Alliance election observer.
In Murehwa South
individuals known to be
CCC supporters were denied
government inputs and they
were told that they should
get their inputs from Nelson
Chamisa, the CCC leader.
During the preparations for
the by-elections, traditional
leaders denied suspected
opposition CCC supporters
government inputs. In
Marondera, the police ban
on a CCC rally turned out to
be the highest point of
intolerance by government
and state security agents.
The situation could have
easily turned ugly if the
CCC supporters did not
exercise restraint. Their
numbers would have easily
overpowered the number of
police officers who formed
the chain to prevent access
into the stadium. In Wedza
a CCC member sustained
injuries after being
assaulted for wearing his
yellow party regalia.
In Mashonaland West a
21-year-old year old
artisanal miner died after
being attacked in a
machete gang war at Peak
Stone Mine in Chegutu.
There has been a rise in
incidents of machete
gangs in gold mines in
Mashonaland West.
Machete gangs
contributed to 1.29
percent of human rights
violations, mostly in
Mashonaland West and
this is largely due to the
politicization of gold
mining in Zimbabwe. The
violence by machete
wielding gangs has to
continue to be watched in
the run up to the
elections and those
concerned about political
and /or electoral violence
have to devise means of
preventing the violence
perpetrated by these
gangs.
Between January and
March at least one
artisanal miner died in
the province.
In Kadoma, police
arrested CCC members as
they conducted rallies
ahead of the March 26 byelections. Zanu PF
members conducting
similar meetings but were
not arrested.
In Bulawayo, there was
intra-party violence between
the supporters of the two
CCC candidates who stood
for Ward 26. Supporters of
Norman Hlabano and
Mpumelelo Moyo clashed
following the party’s failure
to handle the double
candidature.
In another incident, a
Mthwakazi activist
identified as Victor
Mahlangu, threatened
citizens with violence if they
voted for anyone with a
Shona surname in Bulawayo.
In Makhokhoba, a Zapu
activist Gerald Dube
assaulted a citizen who had
criticized Zapu and labelled
it a ‘dead horse’ The case
was later reported to the
police and Dube was
arrested.
At Umzingwane, a group of
Zanu PF activists led by one
Shaba surrounded the
homestead of a CCC ward
candidate, Thokozile Dube
with the aim to intimidate.
They went on to destroy
Dube’s property. On 6
March, a Zanu PF activist
identified as Siyabonga
intimidated citizens during
a village assembly and said
that all those found wearing
yellow regalia would be
dealt with.