Zimbabwe Peace Project

ZPP Monthly Monitor

All that glitters is
not gold: The case
of Kitsiyatota.

BACKGROUND & FORMATION
The Zimbabwe Peace Project (ZPP) was
conceived shortly after 2000 by a group of
Churches and NGOs working or
interested in human rights and peacebuilding initiatives, and was to become a
vehicle for civic interventions in a time of
political crisis. In particular ZPP sought
to monitor and document incidents of
human rights violations and politically
motivated breaches of the peace e.g.
violence.
Today, ZPP’s co-operating member
organizations include, Zimbabwe Council
of Churches (ZCC), Catholic Commission
for Justice & Peace in Zimbabwe
(CCJPZ), Evangelical fellowship of
Zimbabwe (EFZ) Zimbabwe Election
Support Network (ZESN), Counselling
Services Unit (CSU), Zimbabwe Civic
Education Trust (ZIMCET), Zimbabwe
Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR),
Zimbabwe Human Rights Association
(ZIMRIGHTS), Civic Education Network
Trust (CIVNET), Women’s Coalition of
Zimbabwe (WCoZ) and Habakkuk Trust.
VISION
A Zimbabwe where there is Peace,
Justice, Dignity and Development for all.
MISSION
To work for sustainable peace through
monitoring, documentation, advocacy and
community peace building interventions
with our members and partners.

Information Department
Zimbabwe Peace Project
27/03/2015
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Information Department
Zimbabwe Peace Project

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2015_2 February Monthly Monitor Report

Monthly Monitoring Report

Executive Summary: In this report ZPP highlights the risks that gold panners face at Kitsiyatota in Bindura as they try to eke a living. When ZPP team arrived at the site they were mobbed as gold panners thought they were ‘sponsors’. The gold panners tried to ‘sweet talk’ our team claiming that by just investing $100 a ‘sponsor’ would make a profit of about $800. In the month under review ZPP came across a community in Gwanda North that is proud of how their representative in the House of Assembly Hon. Madodana Sibanda of Zanu PF has transformed the distribution food and other aid. He is commended for advocating for equitable distribution regardless of political affiliation. While in Gwanda North Hon Sibanda demonstrated that he represents all citizens in the constituency regardless, the same cannot be said of leaders in other parts of the country. As the campaigns for by elections slated for March 27 in Chirumanzu-Zibagwe and Mount Darwin West gathered momentum Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa left most shell shocked as he threatened those that belong to other parties. “Nobody comes to vote in the same manner death comes, for death you cannot build a fence to keep it out, but a person who votes we can tell if they are for us or not with us and those who are not ours we will fence them out”. This report highlights incidents of civil and political rights and food violations recorded in all the provinces during the month of February 2015. Reports from the provinces indicate that there is general calmness compared to the previous months where intra-party fights were vicious especially in the Zanu PF party. In its effort to purge unwanted party elements some senior Zanu PF members perceived to belong to the former Vice President Joice Mujuru suffered the wrath of the party. In the month of February however, there have been reports of peaceful campaigning by both Zanu PF and opposition parties in some of the Harare constituencies and Mashonaland East province. Midlands province also recorded calmness except for a protest held against the MDC-T President Mr. Morgan Tsvangirai when he visited the City of Gweru. The MDC-T President was not well received by residents when he toured Gweru City. He was accused of using council property especially vehicles during his visit. Gweru residents waved placards denouncing the visit and accused him of taking advantage of their economic hardship to gain political ground. In another political engagement, MDC-T party successfully held its meeting on 20 February 2015 in Mudzi and there was a huge turnout. Other constituencies that experienced calmness in Mashonaland East province include Seke, Murehwa West, Uzumba and Maramba Pfungwe. However Chikomba West in the same province is reported to have an intimidatory atmosphere because of the huge presence of Central Intelligence Organization (CIO) officers everywhere monitoring the operations of social and development projects in the area. The constituencies reported to have held peaceful political meetings in Harare include Rugare, Highfield, Warren Park and GlenView North. Zanu PF members marched and campaigned peacefully for the Highfield seat as they anticipated the recalling of Moses Manyengavana who had defected to MDC Renewal. However it was not all peaceful in some constituencies. On 26 February MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirai visited Chigovanyika shopping centre in St Marys in Chitungwiza. Before his arrival Zanu PF members had camped at the venue to disrupt his visit. One Zanu PF member Musa Makuyana displayed a knife threatening to attack MDC-T members when Mr. Tsvangirai arrived. An MDC-T member disarmed the perpetrator and beat him up. Another Zanu PF member who wanted to get to Mr. Tsvangirai was stopped by one of the MDC-T security men. The chaos worsened as Zanu PF supporters increasingly disrupted the meeting while MDC-T members fought for the security of their leader. In the end Mr. Tsvangirai had to end his visit prematurely. While overt violence seems to have gone down harassment, intimidation and discrimination during food and input handouts distribution still top the list of the incidents recorded. Out of the 152 recorded violations 84 were incidences of harassment and intimidation, and 40 cases of discrimination were reported. Most of these violations emanate from high levels of political intolerance, impunity of perpetrators of violence and disregard for respect for human rights. Zanu PF party activists are the main perpetrators as they force people to attend their party meetings and contribute towards party activities. In the month of February Zanu PF party perpetrators were 192 as compared to 17 MDC-T perpetrators. In terms of victims February 2015 recorded 209 male victims as compared to 86 female victims. The high numbers of male victims could be attributed to their active participation in the political arena. Political intolerance is not demonstrated by Zanu PF party members only. In Bulawayo province on 24 February 2015 Councillor Victor Chunga of MDC-T was recruiting people at Lobengula Housing Office to participate in a program called ‘Clean the City’ for a payment by the city council. It is alleged he only recruited people from his party and this caused an uproar with war veterans and Zanu PF supporters who protested loudly and the Councillor ended up taking on board four well known Zanu PF members. In another incident, on 15 February 2015 in Mutare North, at the Roman Catholic Centre there was an intra party fight in the MDC-T camp. Former ward chairperson Abu Masibango disrupted a ward executive meeting organised by the current chairperson whom he accused of having links with the Renewal Team. On the day in question, Abu Masibango came to the meeting venue accompanied by two state police officers who arrested the victim accusing him of holding an illegal meeting. The accused was taken to the police station but released the same day. In another incident of political intolerance on the 22 nd of February 2015 a Zanu PF ward official John Moyo of Bubi Constituency ward 18 threatened two female Zanu PF members with unspecified action for working for a top MDC-T official. Moyo accused the two women of being sell-outs as they were known Zanu PF card carrying members and yet they chose to work for the MDC-T official who is considered an opponent of Zanu PF. Zanu PF members continue to harass community members by forcing people to attend their party meetings and also demand money to support party activities. On 11 February 2015 a Zanu PF chairperson Artwell Ruwizhu addressed a meeting at Kitsiyatota in Bindura in Mashonaland Central province. He demanded that people who were operating at the site should pay $5 for President Mugabe’s birthday. Kitsiyatota is a site where people are flocking to do artisanal gold mining under unsafe conditions with no interference from the authorities. There was an influx of gold panners at Kitsiyatota after the First Lady Grace Mugabe made a statement encouraging gold panning to improve people’s economic status. In another incident on the 21 st of February 2015 taxi drivers in Bindura town were forced to drive their cars in a single file from Bindura town to an area called Progress to celebrate the President’s birthday. In another incident, in Mashonaland East province, on 6 February 2015 Gilbert Makazhu, a strong Zanu PF member ordered residents at Kotwa Growth Point to pay $1 per head for feeding Zanu PF members at Mudzi Resource Centre during political meetings. The effects of intraparty fights within Zanu PF continue to manifest in some constituencies as evidenced by a low turnout experienced in Hwedza North when Minister of State in Mashonaland East Province Biggie Matiza held a meeting on 17 February 2015 at Hwedza Centre. Only 7 out of 16 councillors and 3 chiefs out of 12 attended the meeting. Supporters were not happy with the demotion of the former Minister of State in Mashonaland East Province Simbaneuta Mudarikwa. In another development some civil servants have been forcibly absorbed into Zanu PF party structures against their will. In Manicaland province Anthony Machingauta a teacher at Ngandu Primary and also a Zanu PF branch chairperson of ward 15, Chimanimani East forced fellow teachers and civil servants into joining and taking active positions in Zanu PF at a restructuring meeting that took place on 20 February 2015 at the Council Boardroom. One of the victims was given the post of cell chairperson. In a separate incident Hurungwe East legislator Sarah Mahoka is reported to have invited all school heads both from primary and secondary schools in Hurungwe East to a dinner party at Tengwe Country Club on 6 February 2015. At the party Honourable Mahoka indicated that school heads should ensure good relations with teaching staff in the constituency. She however stressed the point that all the teachers in the constituency should support Zanu PF and its programmes and that those who do not support Zanu PF will be dealt with. The culture of impunity for perpetrators of violence is ubiquitous in the Zimbabwean society and state agents and well known Zanu PF members are beneficiaries of this culture. On the 22 nd of February 2015 Philemon Ndlovu a Zanu PF senior official pulled a gun threatening to shoot gold panners at his mining concession just outside Gwanda town in Matabeleland South province. The panners reported the incident to the police but no arrest was made. It is alleged that when the police heard that Ndlovu was a Zanu PF senior official they just left him alone. In Matabeleland South province ZPP closely followed the goings on at Maleme Ranch where Central Intelligence Organization (CIO) officer Rodney Mashingaidze took over the Ranch previously owned by the Cunningham family in Matobo North. Mashingaidze and his workers moved on to the farm and they were accused of harvesting butternuts. The ranch provided livelihoods to over 800 villagers and also houses a Christian camping site as well as a college offering agricultural training to over a hundred students. The takeover of the farm by Mashingaidze was met with unprecedented resistance by the communities of Matobo and Gwanda North who are beneficiaries of the farming activities. In the process of resisting the farm invasion twelve villagers were arrested as they picketed at the farm to defend their rights. They were granted bail and they are due to appear again in court on April 2 2015. The Maleme issue was eventually taken up by Vice President Phelekezela Mphoko who at one of the meetings with the traditional leaders announced the victory of the community in resisting the occupation of the farm by Mashingaidze. It has not been easy for civil society working around human rights issues to work with community members without backlash from Zanu PF members. On 17 February 2015 villagers of Chishumba in Karoi Mashonaland West province were harassed by Councillor Buddwell Chasara for wearing t- shirts from the Election Resource Centre (ERC) written “Voice Up”. The villagers were labelled enemies of the state and were ordered never to wear such t-shirts. The villagers had attended an ERC meeting. The ERC confirmed the distribution of t-shirts in the area.

Documents

2015_2 February MMR.pdf
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