or state events such as the burial of national heroes among others, vendors are allegedly
threatened with evictions in the event that the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC)
wins an election. Senior officials from Zanu PF view an MDC victory as a reversal of the
independence gains.
Fear of reprisals, beatings, torture
In some communities reprisals take many different forms including beatings, torture,
harassment, selectivity in benefitting from handouts. The targeted individual is exploited
on their points of weaknesses, or are re-victimized if they have been targeted before. The
prospects of re-victimization create an un-conducive environment for survivors of past
violence to freely participate in political processes. Cases of political violence at elections
and other times have had recorded cases of individuals in communities being targeted and
used as examples for others.
The indirect impact of seeing violence meted out on others causes some individuals to
change their intentions or to act without freedom of choice. Examples include the
victimization of business persons accused of being aligned with the opposition in Mbare.
Such cases attract so much publicity that commoners in and around Mbare feel that if
such could happen to a businessperson what of an ordinary market vendor.
Fear of the Unknown and Known
Some of the communities do not even have to wait for any violence or harassment to
commence. Instances of individuals relocating to safe spaces such as urban areas have
been reported as a pre-emptive measure. This has often resulted in such individuals
failing to participate in elections or any local processes. The Zimbabwe Democracy
Institute indicated “the 2013 elections were driven by fear as a psychological warfare as
compared to a physical warfare of 2008; a harvest of fear. During the 2013 harmonised
elections, citizens were systematically intimidated and threatened with violence by
drawing on past memories of the June 2008 presidential run-off election.” A respondent
in the ZDI report states the potential and ability of violence to be meted out,
“We knew that if Zanu-PF promises violence they will do it and it is not that we
think that Zanu-PF is capable of unleashing violence but we have lived to see what
Zanu-PF can do in the 2008 presidential runoff. When Zanu-PF say they will deal
with you surely they will come and deal with you”.
Direct and Indirect Impact of Past Violence
The social and economic cost of violence has not been adequately documented in respect
of repeated cycles and periods of violence in Zimbabwe. Conclusions of whether certain
political parties would have won or lost in absence of intimidation and violence has also
not been sufficiently debated. From interviews conducted, citizens in some areas continue
to be affected by previous violence that even those who are literate fake illiteracy during
the voting process and end up being “assisted” voters. Questions have arisen as to how
people such as teachers plead illiteracy when their communities know that they are
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