Mashonaland East
When government distributed maize to vulnerable people in Mashonaland East
in October through the social welfare department and the Grain Marketing
Board (GMB), there were a number of discriminatory tendencies that were
reported. In addition to this, intra-party conflict within Zanu-PF remains a hot
issue in Mashonaland East. Zanu-PF members in provincial leadership are
trading votes of no confidence as the tussle for factional power continues in
earnest.
Zanu-PF party is still in shambles since October 2014 when the First Lady
denounced factionalism in the party in Marondera. Several heads have fallen
through dismissals, suspensions and votes of no confidence. Such developments
have led to distrust and have fuelled tension and conflict in the province.
Highlights:
On 9 October 2015, Zanu-PF district chairperson for Mudzi West, David
Kanjere, allegedly sent some youths to beat up a local headman for
refusing to attend a Zanu-PF meeting to organise the party. The
headman was being forced to call people to organise cells. The people
refused to attend the meetings and indicated that they were tired of
Zanu-PF cells they had to build up every year and do not benefit from.
The headman was forced to a meeting at Donzwi shops in Ward 12,
where he was beaten up by youths during the meeting. Kanjere could not
be reached for comment.
John Zunde (not real name), an MDC-T supporter of Ward 3 in Mauruka
Village in Maramba, was severely assaulted at Mazowe River. He was
selling shoes and clothes to gold panners and was allegedly approached
by Koshiwai and Peter Mususa and instructed to vacate the area because
he was an MDC-T supporter. They said they did not want to stay near an
opposition member. Zunde did not take the matter seriously. On 10
October, four gold panners from Mt Darwin approached Zunde with
sticks, singing a song that indicated that Zanu-PF had come to destroy
(Morgan) Tsvangirai’s wares. The men severely beat up Zunde while
Peter and Koshiwai were watching. They only intervened after a woman
nearby cried out and questioned them why they stood idly by while a
man was being “murdered”. The victim fled and the men ransacked his
possessions and burnt the items he was selling. Zunde reported the case
to the neighbourhood police known as Chigenje who, it is alleged,
dismissed the case and indicated that political cases were a problem. He
advised the victim to seek medical attention and report the case later.
The victim was assisted by his party to seek medical attention from
Counselling Services Unit (CSU) in Harare. CSU confirmed to ZPP that
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