Political violence against MDC supporters in some parts of Zimbabwe continue despite signing of a deal between the MDC and Zanu PF meant to end the country’s political and economic stalemate.

Sam Veremu Jaricha, an MDC supporter at Nhema Village, in Zaka, Masvingo province had his home burnt down by Zanu PF supporters on Saturday night.

The suspects are based at the homestead of Chief Nhema, Rangarirai Guvanda. (more…)

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Links ~ 23 September

ANC confirms Mbeki’s successor (BBC News)
South Africa’s governing African National Congress (ANC) has confirmed that deputy leader Kgalema Motlanthe, will become the caretaker president. Mr Motlanthe, an ally of party leader Jacob Zuma, will succeed Thabo Mbeki, who is due to step down on Thursday on the orders of the ANC.

Mbeki’s resignation “tragedy” for Mugabe (The Zimbabwean)
Analyst says Mbeki’s resignation “tragedy” for Mugabe . Thabo Mbeki who has been at the heart of the Zimbabwe crisis as the mediator and also the President of the major power in the region, resigned at the weekend after receiving an ultimatum by his political party the ruling African National Congress (ANC). (more…)

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This was cicrulcated via email by Kerry Kay, the MDC Secretary for Welfare:

Yesterday I took one of our MDC activists and his wife to a private Clinic to try and enrol them on an ARV program that wouldn’t be beset with constant stock outs of drugs. They had to return to Chitingwiza to collect their hospital records.

Today their bus fares had doubled since yesterday $200 to $400 per person each way. They are both unwell and unemployed.

(more…)

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In an increasingly popular change of strategy, Zanu PF supporters are resorting to poisoning rival MDC supporters as a new method of elimination, abandoning the violent approach.

Cliff Humbasha, MDC Ward Chairperson, Stanly Bepura, Ward 4 MDC Organizing Secretary and Fanuel Mudyazvevamwe, an MDC youth, were poisoned on the 13th of August 2008 after drinking a home made traditional alcoholic beverage laced with an unknown poison. (more…)

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Press Statement from Hon Tendai Biti, MP, MDC Secretary-General:

There are recent widespread reports that Zanu PF and MDC are talking and are about to conclude an agreement to form a Government of National Unity (GNU).

Nothing can be as malicious and as further from the truth.

As a matter of fact, there are no talks or discussions taking place between the two parties and most importantly, there is no agreement in the offing.

Whilst the MDC pursued dialogue in a bid to establish a Government of National Healing before the 12th June 2008, the sham and catalyptic election on 27 June 2008 totally and completely exterminated any prospects of a negotiated settlement.

It is now the firm view of the MDC that those who claim they have got a mandate to govern should govern. Chitongai tione..

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On March 29th 2008, Robert Mugabe polled total votes of 1,079,730. Somehow, despite mass intimidation, gross violence, increasing poverty, murders, and hyper-inflation, Robert Mugabe’s popularity accelerated faster than our inflation figures (which is quite something) and he managed to secure himself an extra 1,070,539 votes on 27 June 2008. He has effectively doubled his vote.

Do not forget that Morgan Tsvangirai withdrew from this poll and a call to boycott the elections was circulated and supported in many areas (see Sokwanele round-ups on the day of the polls here and here). The Pan African Parliamentary observers  have independently also confirmed an extremely low turnout, but this is not reflected in the turnout figures below.

There are two rows per province in the table; the yellow highlighed row shows the results for March 29th 2008, excluding the other two candidates who competed on that day. The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) have not released the results on a constituency basis so we cannot make detailed comparisons.

* This 100% figure includes the other Presidential candidates who competed on March 29th 2008.

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An article that appeared in my name, published in the Guardian yesterday, does not  reflect my  position or opinions regarding solutions to the Zimbabwean crisis.

Although the Guardian was given assurances from credible sources that I had approved the article this was not the case. (more…)

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Presidential Statement

[23rd June, 2008. The meeting started at 7:50 p.m. and adjourned at 7:54 p.m.]

The full text of presidential statement S/PRST/2008/23 reads as follows:

“The Security Council condemns the campaign of violence against the political opposition ahead of the second round of the Presidential elections scheduled for 27 June, which has resulted in the killing of scores of opposition activists and other Zimbabweans and the beating and displacement of thousands of people, including many women and children.

“The Security Council further condemns the actions of the Government of Zimbabwe that have denied its political opponents the right to campaign freely, and calls upon the Government of Zimbabwe to stop the violence, to cease political intimidation, to end the restrictions on the right of assembly and to release the political leaders who have been detained. The Council urges the international monitors and observers to remain in Zimbabwe while the crisis continues.

(more…)

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We have added the details for 66 murders to the political violence map. This figure falls short of the last confirmed figure we had last week, which was that 85 people have been killed in the violence so far.

We have more to add.

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We’ve just received a shocking media alert from the MDC of four murders.

Four MDC youths were this morning found dead after Zanu PF and state security agents had abducted them in Chitungwiza yesterday morning.

Yuana Jenti, Archford Chipiyo, Ngoni Knight and another who has only been identified as Tyson at the moment were found dead in the early hours of this morning with serious body injuries showing that they were heavily tortured until they died.

There is a sombre mood in Chitungwiza as the residents are failing to come to terms with these shocking deaths.

The four were abducted at the MDC councillor for Ward 19, Councillor Philimon Chipiyo in Unit F.  Archford is the son of the councillor.  Just before the abduction the home of the councillor along with four other houses in the area had been petrol bombed by Zanu PF thugs.

The other house was petrol bombed is that of St Mary’s MP Marvellous Khumalo.

(more…)

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Zimbabwe govt says won’t arrest Tsvangirai (SABC)

June 13, 2008, 20:15 – SABC news reports the following:

Zimbabwe’s government has given the assurance that they will not arrest Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) leader Morgan Tsvangirai. Tsvangirai has been detained four times since returning to Harare last month to campaign for the presidential run-off election on June 17. Deputy Information Minister Bright Matonga says they will not arrest Tsvangirai as long as he campaigns peacefully.

[The next day on June 14, MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai was detained for a 5th time by the Zimbabwean police. Tsvangirai and 11 members of his campaign party were detained for 5 hours before they were released.]

Mugabe vows ‘war’ to keep Zimbabwe opposition out of power (AFP)
Robert Mugabe has vowed to fight rather than let Morgan Tsvangirai leader of the MDC take power should Tsvangirai win the presidential run-off election. “It shall never happen… as long as we are alive and those who fought for the country are alive,” Mugabe said. “We are prepared to fight for our country and to go to war for it.”

The MDC has warned of a campaign of intimidation launched by Zanu-PF ahead of the June 27 presidential run-off election. The MDC secretary general Tendai Biti have been arrested 2 days ago on charges of treason which could carry a death sentence. Biti appeared in a Harare court handcuffed and escorted by an armed police officer. Biti’s lawyer, Lewis Uriri said that he would now be allowed access to his client. Uriri said that Biti had told him that after his arrest, he had been interrogated continuously for 24 hours by 3 different teams. Uriri said that Biti was to be taken to the Matapi police station in the Harare township of Mbare. (more…)

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Zim veterans ‘recruiting youths’
Amnesty International has called on the Zimbabwean government to publicly denounce violence. They ask that the perpetrators of human rights abuses be arrested and that victims have access to humanitarian assistance. International human rights monitors should also be allowed to investigate the current human rights violations in Zimbabwe. They say that Zimbabwean youths are being forcibly recruited to commit acts of violence. People living in remote rural areas are particularly vulnerable as human rights abuses are committed away from the spotlight. Humanitarian organisations and ngo’s are furthermore also targeted and prevented from giving aid to victims.

Zimbabwe’s Opposition Calls for Urgent Meetings
The MDC called for urgent meetings with the Southern African Development Community (SADC). The MDC says that foreign intervention is needed to curb the escalating violence and to prevent it from developing into civil war. Tendai Biti, secretary general of the MDC said that should diplomacy fail “the next thing is war.” The SADC must act before the situation deteriorates any further. Zimbabwe’s problems now have a regional impact as is shown by the xenophobic attacks on foreigners in South Africa. (more…)

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#1: Long queues in Harare

#2: Jets flying at low altitude today to cower rural people in Gokwe

#3: So far everything is going on well. Peaceful atmosphere. In some areas people started queueing as early as 3am. Voting started at 7am. But pace is slow, mainly due to the fact that people have to choose for four representatives from not less than 12 candidates.

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If you are unaware of what’s been happening to the women of WOZA, I suggest you swing past their blog and read the recent entries. These are some extracts of the past few horrible days they’ve been enduring.

Reports indicate that one woman had a baby on her back whilst she lay down on the floor and the baby sustained beatings and has a swollen leg. As members reported for medical attention today, some could need hospitilisation, including the baby. (link)

A message was delivered by Law and Order officers that if anyone other than Jenni Williams tried to deliver food they would be beheaded. However all those who delivered food this morning were not harmed. Williams is on a hit list to be eliminated as a dangerous person. (link)

She was shown torture rooms and told in great detail what would happen to her there. They then took her into the bush nearby and questioned her about Jenni Williams and where WOZA gets its money, at the same time, forcing her to watch other people being tortured by plain-clothed officers until 8.30 at night. The police told her to tell WOZA that they “don’t play with people”. When she kept insisting that she could not answer their questions, they decided she could go after being ‘punished’. She was then forced to crawl under an electric fence, causing her clothes to be torn and covered in mud. She then had to run through the bush to find her way back to the main road, where a passer-by found her in torn, filthy clothes and gave her a lift back to Bulawayo. (this was 18 year old Clarah Makoni’s experience)

The WOZA website is here.

Technorati Tags: Zimbabwe, WOZA, Women of Zimbabwe Arise, gender, assault, torture, violence, action, protest

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