16.12.04

EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT RESOLUTION
On December 16 the European Parliament passed an important resolution on Zimbabwe which bears directly on the forthcoming elections and in particular on compliance with the SADC electoral standards. The resolution reads, in part:

"The European Parliament:
1. Insists that all political interference in the distribution of international food aid is halted without delay to prevent the ZANU PF government from using food as a political weapon.
2. Insists that repressive legislation such as the Public Order and Security Act (POSA) is repealed and the forthcoming elections in Zimbabwe are held in accordance with the SADC principles and guidelines governing democratic elections, including those agreed in Mauritius on August 17 2004, with unimpeded access for international observers and an end to intimidation of opposition supporters.
3. Demands the immediate release (from prison) of Roy Bennett MP (opposition party MP for Chimanimani) and the cessation of all violence and intimidation towards his family and employees.
4. Calls upon Zimbabwe's neighbours and in particular President Thabo Mbeki of South Africa, who recently addressed the European Parliament, to engage on behalf of the people of Zimbabwe to bring about change for the better and to ensure that the Zimbabwean Government fully cooperates with SADC and the wider international community to guarantee free and fair elections and a robust and timely international monitoring presence …

(For the full text of the resolution
see www.zimbabwedemocracytrust.org )

20.12.04

FRESH WAVE OF VIOLENCE AGAINST OPPOSITION
State security agents and ruling ZANU PF party militias stepped up terror and violence, displacing 69 opposition supporters from their homes in October alone, according to the Zimbabwe Human Rights' Forum (ZHRF).

The ZHRF, which is now itself under threat because of the repressive Non Government Organisations (NGO) Act, brings together 17 of the biggest human rights NGOs in Zimbabwe and regularly reports on political violence and human rights abuses in the country.

In its latest report released just before Christmas, the group said at least four people were tortured in October, either by state agents or militant supports of Robert Mugabe and his ZANU PF party. This brings to 169 the number of torture cases recorded since January 2004.

Four people suspected of being supporters of the country's main opposition party, the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), were kidnapped during October and their whereabouts was still unknown at the time the ZHRF report was produced. The October abductions brought to 61 the number of politically motivated kidnappings since the beginning of 2004.

(See the report on Zim Online - www.zimonline.co.za)

2.1.3 Political tolerance

4.1.1 Constitutional and legal guarantees of freedom and rights of the citizens

4.1.2 Conducive environment for free, fair and peaceful elections

7.4. (Government to) safeguard the human and civil liberties of all citizens, including the freedom of movement, assembly, association, expression and campaigning … during the electoral process …

7.5 (Government to) take all necessary measures and precautions to prevent the perpetration of fraud, rigging or any other illegal practices throughout the whole electoral process

02.01.05

ZANU PF MILITIAS DENY OPPOSITION FOOD
Youth militias trained by the Mugabe regime who are helping the state's Grain Marketing Board (GMB) distribute food at the resort town of Kariba, are demanding that hungry people produce ruling ZANU PF party membership cards before they are given food. The youths, who were trained under the state's national youth service training programme, were seconded by the GMB to help the parastatal distribute maize at a subsidized rate to starving people in the town on Zimbabwe's border with Zambia.

"I have queued for mealie meal for the last four days without success," said a father of six who admitted to being a member of the main opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) party. "Each day the youths insist that only ZANU PF members get mealie meal," added the father who did not want to be named for fear of further victimization.

More than three million Zimbabweans need food aid between now and the next harvest in March, despite earlier claims by Mugabe that the regime had produced enough food to feed itself - and indeed that there was a "bumper harvest" on the way.

(For the full report see Zim Online: www.zimonline.co.za)

4.1.1. Constitutional and legal guarantees of freedom and rights of the citizens

4.1.3 Conducive environment for free, fair and peaceful elections

7.5 (Government to) take all necessary measures and precautions to prevent the perpetration of fraud, rigging or any other illegal practices throughout the whole electoral process, in order to maintain peace and security

19.12.04

SOLDIERS ATTACK MDC SUPPORTERS
It was reported in the Zimbabwean Standard that soldiers from the Zimbabwean army (which takes its orders from the Mugabe regime) beat up at least 10 opposition Movement For Democratic Change (MDC) supporters, seriously injuring one.

The attacks took place at the Sharenza Shopping Centre near Mayo in the Makoni North province during mid December.

The soldiers accused the MDC supporters of attending an "illegal" rally. According to Elton Mangoma, the aspiring MDC candidate for this constituency in the forthcoming parliamentary elections, the matter was reported to the police but (typically) no arrests were made.

Mangoma said an MDC activist, Elias Sithole, was seriously injured after being assaulted by the soldiers, who insisted he take them to his home where they found MDC party membership cards and T-shirts.

"They forced Sithole to wear all the T-shirts and force-marched him to the shops where they made him swim in a small pond with dirty water while chanting ZANU PF slogans. They kicked him until he could not defend himself and left him for dead," said Mangoma. It is understood that Sithole was taken first to the Macheke hospital and then transferred to a hospital in Harare for treatment.

(See the full story in The Standard: December 19)

2.1.2 Freedom of association

2.1.3 Political tolerance

4.1. 2 Conducive environment for free, fair and peaceful elections

7.4 (Government to) safeguard the human and civil liberties of all citizens including the freedom of movement, assembly, association, expression and campaigning …

7.7(Government to) ensure that adequate security is provided to all parties participating in the elections

Dec. 04

POLICE DISRUPT PRIMARY ELECTIONS
The main opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) party's primary elections set for the Marondera constituency had to be abandoned just before Christmas after young thugs from the ruling ZANU PF party started beating delegates who had assembled for the meeting. Two huts belonging to the MDC youth district chairperson, Tapfumanevi Maketo, were burnt down while the parents of the MDC's organising secretary, Edward Dzeka, were assaulted for hiding their son from the mob.

The drama began after the police moved in to block the meeting, alleging ZANU PF had booked the hall before the MDC. This was despite the fact that the police had initially granted permission to the opposition to hold the meeting.

The police also insisted on taking down the names of all the delegates to the meeting, a tactic said to be used to intimidate people in the rural areas.

It is alleged that the sitting (ZANU PF) member of parliament for the area, Brigadier Ambrose Mutinhiri, ordered the disruption of the MDC meeting.

(This report was carried on SW Radio Africa)

2.1.1 Full participation of the citizens in the political process

2.1.2 Freedom of association

4.1.1 Constitutional and legal guarantees of freedom and rights of the citizens

4.1.2 Conducive environment for free, fair and peaceful elections

7.4 (Government to) safeguard the human and civil liberties of all citizens, including the freedom of movement, assembly, association, expression, and campaigning …

7.7(Government to) ensure that adequate security is provided to all parties participating in the elections

22.12.04

OPPOSITION CRIES FOUL
Zimbabwe's main opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) party has accused Robert Mugabe of rigging the 2005 elections even before a single vote has been cast. According to MDC spokesman Paul Themba Nyathi, ZANU PF has achieved this by reducing the number of voting constituencies in the MDC strongholds.

He said that the decision of the Delimitation Commission (whose members were hand-picked by Mugabe) to cut down constituencies in areas supporting the opposition party, while adding three new ones in ruling ZANU PF strongholds, was a part of a strategy to reduce his party's chances of winning the ballot scheduled to take place in March.

The Delimitation Commission justified its proposals on the grounds of migration of voters. In his response, Nyathi said: "It beats all logic that Harare, a city whose population has increased by 500 000 people according to census figures that were released in 2004, is supposed to have lost 50 000 voters".

He added: "Where on earth under modern civilization do you see people migrating from an urban set-up environment to rural constituencies in such large proportions?

"The MDC spokesman cited the decision to reduce constituencies in MDC areas as further evidence of the regime's unwillingness to uphold SADC electoral guidelines. He called on regional leaders to pressure Mugabe and ZANU PF to abide by the regional standards for democratic polls.

(See the report in Zim Online: December 21 and 22 …)

2.1.6 Equal opportunity to exercise the right to vote and be voted for

2.1.7 Independence of the Judiciary and impartiality of electoral institutions

4.1.4 Existence of updated and accessible voters' roll

7.3 (Government to) establish impartial, all-inclusive, competent and accountable national electoral bodies staffed by qualified personnel, as well as competent legal entities including effective constitutional courts to arbitrate in the event of disputes arising from the conduct of elections.