Zimbabwe: 2008 Post-harmonised election violence (continued)

On the morning of 25 April the offices of ZESN and the home of its executive director were raided by the police in a search for subversive material and confiscated files and documents (ZLHR 2008a, ZESN 2008). ZESN board members, all prominent members of civil society, were ordered to report to Harare Central Police Station that same day "for questioning in connection with allegations of 'supporting or assisting any group to overthrow or attempt to overthrow the government by unconstitutional means or usurp the functions of government or to coerce or attempt to coerce the government'" (ZLHR 2008b). On 28 April ZESN Chairperson, Noel Kututwa, handed himself to the police (ZESN 2008).

On 25 April, also, police raided the offices of MDC-T and, according to Human Rights Watch (2008), "arbitrarily arrested scores of people, including women and children seeking refuge there". On 28 April MDC-T obtained a High Court order for the release of the members arrested, but the order was initially ignored by the police who only released 182 people on the 29 April and kept another three in custody (SABC News 2008, CNN 2008). On the 30 April ZLHR (2008c) reported presiding officers, mainly in Masvingo Province, continued to be arrested by the police.

The MDC-T claimed that in addition to the arrest, abduction, assault and torture of its supporters, 15 of its members had been killed by ZANU-PF supporters between elction day and the 29 April. ZANU-PF denied these accusations and asserted that the MDC-T were the instigators of violence (Association of Zimbabwean Journalists 2008). However, UN Special Rapporteurs issued a joint statement (2008) saying that MDC supporters were being victimised by security forces, paramilitary groups and gangs and that since election day:

[A]t least 351 persons were hospitalized for injuries; several cases of politically motivated murders occurred; nearly three hundred homes were destroyed through politically motivated arson; and fifteen women were abducted. As a result of the violence, hundreds of families and individuals –mostly women and children- have been displaced internally, and some are seeking refuge in neighbouring countries. Approximately 70 MDC members and 34 ZEC presiding and polling officers have been arrested, while national observers and other human rights defenders are being threatened because of their non-violent activities in defense of human rights, in particular their denouncing of the current situation.

The Zimbabwe Peace Project (ZPP 2008) reported that in April 2008 alone the organisation had documented "4 331 cases of politically motivated human rights violations among these 10 were politically motivated murders".

The announcement of the results of the presidential election on 2 May 2008 (see Presidential election results - first round), and of the need to conduct a second round of voting, did not lead to an abatement of violence. On the contrary, reports indicated that the violence had spread geographically and increased in intensity. Women and Men of Zimbabwe Arise conducted a protest in Bulawayo on 5 May to protest the political violence in the country, but the protest was broken up by riot police leaving at least 59 people severely injured, while 12 people were arrested (WOSA 2008).

On 6 May the MDC-T claimed that the number of dead supporters and members had risen to 24 (Mombe 2008). ZESN reported that its observers had come under attack and four homes had been burnt down in Mashonaland East and Central provinces, apparently by a roving band of about 200 ZANU-PF party youths; moreover the police did nothing to curb the attacks (Maponga 2008). In two villages in Mashonaland Central, in a period of 48 hours, 16 people were killed, many others were badly injured and more than 100 people made homeless in attacks by soldiers, ZANU-PF militia members and gangs of party youths (SW Radio 2008).

Bulawayo Agenda (2008) received reports of intimidation and violence and a killing, as well as people fleeing their homes, as the result of the deployment of soldiers, police, war veterans and ZANU PF militia throughout rural areas stretching from Victoria Falls, Shurugwi to Gwanda. In Mathambo, Bulawayo Agenda (2008, 2) reported, farmers attacked by war veterans and militia members re-grouped and fought back, "resulting in War vets fleeing with injuries"; however 3 farmers were arrested thereafter. In Kezi militia members deployed there moved away when villagers refused to provide them with food (Bulawayo Agenda 2008, 2). A Zimbabwe Army public relations officer issued a statement on 7 May: "The Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA) wishes to raise concerns over articles being published in the print and the electronic media on allegations relating to the alleged political violence, assaults, harassment and robberies perpetrated by men in army uniforms... the army categorically distances itself and any of its members from such activities" (Nzou 2008).

References

ASSOCIATION OF ZIMBABWEAN JOURNALISTS 2008 "Violence fears grow as pressure piles on Harare", [www] http://www.zimbabwejournalists.com/story.php?art_id=4059&cat=1 [opens new window] (accessed 30 April 2008).

BULAWAYO AGENDA 2008 The Agenda, 6 May, [www] http://www.kubatana.net/html/ archive/demgg/080506ba.asp?spec_code=080121elecdex&sector=ELEC&year=0&range_ start=1&intMainYear=0&intTodayYear=2008 [opens new window] (accessed 13 May 2008).

CNN 2008 "Zimbabwe: More than 200 opposition supporters freed", 29 April, [www] http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/africa/04/29/tsvangirai.un/?iref=mpstoryview [opens new window] (accessed 30 Apr 2008).

HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH 2008 "Zimbabwe: Surge in State-Sponsored Violence", 25 April, [www] http://www.hrw.org/english/docs/2008/04/25/zimbab18653.htm [opens new window] (accessed 29 Apr 2008).

SABC NEWS 2008 "Court order to release MDC supporters ignored", 29 April, [www] http://www.sabcnews.com/africa/southern_africa/0,2172,168569,00.html [opens new window] (accessed 29 Apr 2008).

UN SPECIAL RAPPORTEURS 2008 "Human rights situation deteriorating in Zimbabwe", [www] http://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/media.aspx [opens new window] (accessed 30 Apr 2008).

MAPONGA, T 2008 "ZANU PF youths attack ZESN election observers", ZimOnline, 7 May, [www] http://www.zimonline.co.za/Article.aspx?ArticleId=3128 [opens new window] (accessed 7 May 2008).

MOMBE, J 2008 "Four killed as South Africa probes Zim violence", ZimOnline, 7 May, [www] http://www.zimonline.co.za/Article.aspx?ArticleId=3130 [opens new window] (accessed 7 May 2008).

NZOU, C 2008 "Zimbabwe army speaks on political violence", ZimOnline, 8 May, [www] http://www.zimonline.co.za/Article.aspx?ArticleId=3132 [opens new window] (accessed 8 May 2008).

SW RADIO 2008 "Extreme Violence in Shamva and Centenary", 6 May, [www] http://www.swradioafrica.com/news060508/extremeviol060508.htm [opens new window] (accessed 7 May 2008).

WOZA "WOZA members beaten in Bulawayo today; at least 11 arrested - concern for their whereabouts", 5 May, 2008[www] http://www.kubatana.net/html/archive/women/080505woza.asp?sector=WOMEN [opens new window] (accessed 8 May 2008).

ZESN 2008 "ZESN Chairperson Hands Himself to the Police", 28 April, [www] http://www.zesn.org.zw/newsflash_view.cfm?nfid=33 [opens new window] (accessed 29 April 2008).

ZLHR 2008a "Continued Arrests and Harassment of Election Officers", 25 April.

ZLHR 2008b "Zimbabwe Election Support Network Board Members Face Imminent Arrest!", 25 April.

ZLHR 2008c "Ongoing Arrests of Presiding Officers", 30 April.

ZPP 2008 "ZPP monitors post-election violence", 8 May, [www] http://www.kubatana.net/html/archive/elec/080508zpp.asp?sector=ELEC [opens new window] (accessed 14 May 2008).