#PROVINCIAL OUTLOOK
Matabeleland North
Intra-party confrontations
Intra-party violence rocked the
province in February when Zanu PF
youths in Binga North allegedly
burnt to ashes a branded Zanu PF
Women’s League vehicle allocated
to Veronica Munkuli. The youths
accuse Munkuli of being against
the appointment of the current
shadow MP Kudakwashe. While the
matter was reported to the police,
no arrests had been made at the
time of writing this report.
Harassment and intimidation of
opposition supporters continued
and Chief Saba was at it again, in
Siansundu when he threatened to
expel all opposition political party
supporters from his area, if they
continued to defy his calls for
everyone to join the ruling party.
Saba made the threats during
community meetings where he
further asked community members
to be on the lookout for and report
to him anyone who wore any
clothes with the yellow colour that
the CCC has adopted since its
formation in January.
Masvingo
Vote buying
In Masvingo Province, in a case of
vote buying in contravention of the
Electoral Act, Zanu PF candidate for
Bikita East by-election Court
Zevezai who is also a
businessperson, brought more
than 800 bags of fertilizer which he
distributed at three centers in the
ward. People got the fertilizer after
pledging to vote for him in the
March 26 by-election.
In Mwenezi East and Gutu North,
the right to freedom of assembly
was under the spotlight and at
Masaswe Centre, a Zanu PF
chairperson Tavonga Maparanga,
Councillor Takura Mudavose, and
an Agricultural Extension officer
Edington Shamhuyashe Mapuranga
presided over a government
fertilizer distribution process,
where Mapranga allegedly ordered
people to chant Zanu PF slogans
and misrepresented to the
beneficiaries that the fertilizer was
from the Zanu PF party and not
government.
He added that the fertilizer was to
be distributed according to one’s
level of commitment to Zanu PF
and this would be determined by
attending the party’s meetings.
In Gutu opposition CCC members
had their meeting disrupted by
village head security aides who
ordered the CCC members to
disperse and never convene an
opposition meeting in the area.
burn the houses of CCC
supporters.
These threats cannot be taken
lightly as during the heat of
previous election periods,
opposition supporters have been
killed and some have had their
houses burnt down.
Mashonaland East
Mashonaland West
Zanu PF activists and artisanal
miners contributed to 12 of the
total 17 human rights violations
reported in Mashonaland West
while traditional leaders forced
villagers to attend Zanu PF
meetings.
As the country prepares for
elections, artisanal mining
syndicates are on a resurgence and
because of their association with
Zanu PF, there is a chance they will
be used for terror in the run up to
the 2023 elections and so far, this
month, they were engaged in acts
of intimidating opposition
supporters especially in Kadoma
and Muzveve areas.
In Muzvezve, Zanu PF youths, most
of whom are artisanal miners, went
on a door to door campaign forcing
villagers to join Zanu PF structures
and threatened those intending to
vote for the opposition with
eviction from their farms.
In another case, in Rimuka,
Kadoma, Zanu PF supporters led
by Denford Gwezuva popularly
known as Bambo, went around the
area defacing CCC campaign
posters. Zanu PF aspiring
councillor Mavata is allegedly
behind the violence..
No more yellow
There was a general increase in
cases of intimidation and
politicization of aid and individuals
who showed support for the newly
formed opposition CCC were
targeted.
While in the past, wearing anything
with the colour red during election
time was not the safest thing to do,
as it was associated with the MDC
formations, it appears the colour
yellow is the new red. Fresh from
rejoining Zanu PF, former war
veterans leader and terror architect
Jabulani Sibanda convened a
meeting in Murehwa with war
veterans and Zanu PF supporters
and ordered them to contribute
money that would be used to fund
the Zanu PF youths to disrupt CCC
campaigns in the province.
In Mudzi, Zanu PF activists have
effectively barred villagers from
wearing yellow and those that do
so face threats, harassment and
assault while in Murehwa, Zanu PF
activists are reportedly barring CCC
members from mobilizing and
engaging with supporters.
In one of the cases at Masenda
Village in Mudzi a Zanu PF Ward
secretary, Elizabeth Jiru, threatened
to kill a CCC member who was
conducting door to door
campaigns. Jiru also threatened to
In Mudzi South in Makaha area,
Mapombo Ward, Chinese gold
mining companies are allegedly
grabbing villagers’ land and turning
it into dump sites. This is being
done without any consultation with
the affected. About ten villagers
have been affected.