On 21 September 2022, between 08:00 hours and 15:30 hours people in ward
13, Bikita West under headman Mupakwa gathered at the ward centre. They had
been called to have their names written down in order to be given government
sponsored farming inputs under the pfumvudza scheme. It is alleged that people
came in their numbers as they thought that inputs would be distributed, yet the
agenda was different, it was actually a Zanu PF campaign meeting. It was noted
that Raphael Chiranga, Vena Nyangara, Japhet Chiteme had called for the
meeting, together with D. Mazhara and Muchafa Mazhara. While at the gathering,
Muchafa allegedly intimidated people saying that in the upcoming 2023 general
elections, if one was caught supporting the opposition CCC, Zanu PF was going to
cut off that individual’s head, and for those known as CCC supporters would be
heavily assaulted. People were left in fear. The headman Clemence Mupakwa was
present and also said that those village heads with CCC supporters in their areas
would be in for it, so they were supposed to list the CCC supporters and submit
the names to him.
In Bikita East, the area legislator, Johnson Madhuku called for a meeting in ward
17 on 25 September 2022 at the ward centre. During the meeting, he indicated
that village heads were to receive 2x50kg compound D and 2x50kg ammonium
nitrate fertiliser each. He said that this was to motivate them to whip and coerce
their people to vote for Zanu PF in the 2023 elections. He then threatened the
village heads that if they failed to mobilise for the ruling Zanu PF, they were either
going to be murdered or have their homes destroyed by other Zanu PF members
as they would have shown that they were ‘sellouts’.
It was reported that Andrew Nyoka of ward 24, Silobela, was at Umelusi on 22
September 2022 at a gathering where he uttered intimidating words during a
Zanu PF meeting. Nyoka is said to be the Zanu PF district chairperson. He is
alleged to have threatened the gathered villagers that if Zanu PF lost the 2023
plebiscite, they would face the consequences, indicating that it included violence
being meted out on them. He informed the villagers that all the inputs and maize
were to be distributed according to Zanu PF cell structure registers and those who
were not appearing would be denied the government sponsored aid from that day
onwards.
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