Information emerging of violent rampages in Harare by Zanu PF youth militia

I have just received a phone call from a colleague saying that there is “full-scale terror” going on in Harare right now. Apparently Zanu PF Youth Militia squads are going door to door, sending people onto the streets and burning houses.

“It’s complete mayhem” the person who said.

This is currently happening in Kutsaga, an area close to Harare Airport. Apparently the people affected are simply fleeing the violence.

In a separate communication we received an sms saying, “Trouble in Kuwadzana as ZPF thugs go door to door beating up people. Spread the news”.

The number drawn into the violence is impossible to ascertain at this stage.

We have been told that the areas affected (that we know of so far) are Kutsaga, Kuwadzana, Mbare and Chitungwiza.

There is some anxiety that observers are not seeing the violence. There is talk that observers are being forced to attend “orientation” seminars in the mornings and told they cannot leave their hotels after 5pm.

We did hear that some observers went to Kutsaga but that the militia dissipated when they knew they were on their way.

The state media is playing its part in cranking up the tension as well: they keep repeating that people must not make the same mistake again that they made on the 29th March when they voted for ‘the wrong person’ or did not vote at all. The main line being touted is that the MDC are fomenting violence.

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