#PROVINCIAL OUTLOOK
Mashonaland Central
We can kill and get
away with it
The majority of the human rights
violations recorded in Mashonaland
Central involved the discrimination
of those who do not support Zanu
PF from aid processes.
This is because in Mashonaland
Central, there is only one byelection in March.
What ZPP can conclude is that the
ruling party, using its control in
government is creating an uneven
environment ahead of the 2023
harmonized elections.
By denying aid to people who do
not support Zanu PF, the goal is to
abuse the people’s vulnerability for
political gain, which is unfortunate
and against the law.
In addition, to politicising aid, Zanu
PF politicians in Mashonaland
Central held meetings where they
issued threats to villagers who did
not support the party.
Some of the cases of politicization
of aid and intimidation include
those in Chihoko and Kandigi
villages, where people were
summoned to attend a Zanu PF
meeting at Chihoko primary school
in Mt Darwin East ward 14.
Zanu PF District members Mike
Murasira, Rivert Dhidhimu, Bhebhai
Mujeri and a veteran of Zimbabwe’s
liberation struggle, Samson Hundi
made intimidatory remarks to the
villagers and gave everyone a week
to surrender their membership to
the opposition CCC.
“ We are giving you up to
Wednesday (next week) to come and
surrender so that you can be
spared, when we start dealing with
sellouts,’ said Murasira, “ we can kill
and get away with it because
sellouts do not deserve to live.
Some of you can be abducted and
your relatives will not find you
forever.”
Mujeri added “Do not force us to do
the unthinkable, let us all rally
behind our tried and tested, the one
and only Cde Emmerson
Mnangagwa so that there won't be
any bloodshed”
Hundi concluded the meeting by
saying, "go and tell everyone that
there is no opposition in Mt
Darwin.”
At Vonabo Famin in Glendale,
Mazowe South constituency, Zanu
PF district chairperson John Saidi
forced villagers to attend a meeting
where he threatened to evict from
the farm compound all those who
did not show allegiance to the
ruling party.
CCC supporters who spoke to ZPP
said they were forced to sing and
chant Zanu PF songs and slogans
and they had to do so for fear of
reprisals.
In another case, on 2 February, at an
occasion to hand out fertilizers at
Muonwe Township in Bindura
South, first preference was given
Zanu PF district members and
ruling party supporters, while CCC
supporters were denied access.
Zanu PF district chairperson
Abraham Mhembere who was in
charge of the distribution told the
victims to go and benefit from the
CCC.
ZPP believes that in order for the
electoral playing field to be even,
Zanu PF should not abuse its
incumbency for political gain.
Bulawayo
Targeting the informals
There were fewer people registering
to vote and this was largely
attributed to the fact that the
Registrar’s General department has
in the past couple of years,
struggled to issue national
registration documents, a situation
that will likely disenfranchise many
first-time voters.
Zanu PF continued with its
intimidatory methods and this time
they were targeting vendors.
For example, on 7 February, a Zanu
PF activist identified as Kuda
Chamboko went around Mkambo
Market forcing vendors to buy new
Zanu PF cards or risk losing their
stands at the market.
In another case, a Zanu PF activist,
Japhet Dube, led party youths to
force informal traders to attend a
Zanu PF rally addressed by
disgraced former Vice President
Kembo Mohadi.
Political intolerance remained high
and in one incident, at Mountain
View Shops three Mthwakazi
Republic Party (MRP) youths led by
Marvel Sithole defaced posters of
Zanu PF and CCC candidates for the
March 26 by-elections. It is said that
the trio went on a rampage to
deface the campaign posters citing
that they were not fit for anything.
At KoZitha, suspected MRP activists
assaulted and tore the clothes of a
CCC member for wearing the CCC
yellow colours , accusing him of
supporting ‘ a Shona-led political
party’.
The tension over the MDC-T Vice
President Thokozani Khupe’s
intention to rejoin the CCC,
following her fallout with MDC-T
leader Douglas Mwonzora,
escalated, leading to a tribal
outburst on and offline.
The tension in the CCC over Khupe
is likely to result in political
violence.