Zimbabwe: Post-harmonised election violence in May 2008

Updated July 2008

See also Post-harmonised election violence in April 2008 and Post-harmonised election violence in June 2008.

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 (WOZA 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 2008c, 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).

According to the Zimbabwe National Students Union (ZINASU 2008a), protests by over 600 students on 7 May at Chinhoyi University, demanding that President Mugabe step down, were violently broken up by riot police and five student leaders were arrested. On 9 May ZINASU (2008b) reported that ZINASU's Information Secretary was kidnapped by war veterans on 8 May, the ZINASU Legal and Academic Secretary at Great Zimbabwe University (Masvingo) had been arrested and four of the leaders arrested after the Chinhoyi University demonstration remained in custody without being charged.

The General Agriculture and Plantation Workers' Union of Zimbabwe (GAPWUZ 2008) reported on 8 May that since election day 39 752 farm workers had been driven from the land by violence organised by ZANU-PF and supported by the police and the military. Victims of violence had been denied access to healthcare, 400 families been left without shelter and many rural workers had fled into the mountains.

On 9 May ZADHR (2008) reported 900 documented victims of organised violence and torture but said: "This figure grossly underestimates the number of victims presenting countrywide as the violence is now on such a scale that it is impossible to properly document all cases. There have been 22 confirmed deaths but at least double that number have been reported but are yet to be confirmed". The report added that healthcare professionals were being intimidated and prevented from treating victims. Moreover, they assessed the scale of the violence as being more intense and unrestrained than that observed during the 2002 presidential election. Their documentation indicated that the violence was directed at opposition supporters and members, election observers, school teachers and, on occasion, policemen. The principle perpetrators were identified as "war veterans, armed security force members or Zanu PF youth militia or varying combinations of the three", though acts of defensive and retaliatory violence had also been documented.

A statement issued by ZPP (2008a) identified the same victims as ZADHR, but added:

Groups made up of soldiers, war veterans, youth militias are camping at specific places from where they convene meetings and those targeted are named and justice is meted in the presence of the community. In some instances whole homesteads and targeted huts are set on fire. In some cases livestock is being destroyed and the case in point is Uzumba. While in detention the victims are forced to denounce their parties and they are assaulted with fists booted feet and logs while they sleep heads down.

On 7 May a prominent human rights lawyer, Harrison Nkomo, was arrested for insulting the president and was released on bail on 9 May (Reporters Without Borders 2008). On 8 May the editor of The Standard, Davison Maruziva, was arrested for "publishing falsehoods prejudicial to the state" and released on bail the following day (Reporters Without Borders 2008). On 15 May Student Solidarity Trust (2008) reported that the President and Secretary General of the Zimbabwe Concress of Trade Unions had been arrested for anti-government speeches made on May Day, and had been held without bail for over a week. They were subsequently released on bail on 19 May (Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition 2008).

Violence throughout the rural areas continued unabated throughout May, judging by the flood of reports from various NGOs across the country. Bases continued to be established by ZANU-PF aligned youth, militias and war veterans, often with the acquiescence or support of security forces, especially the military and the CSO. A few bases were been forced to close, however, mainly as a result of resistance from the local population and violence in those areas subsequently receded (Bulawayo Agenda 2008a; Bulawayo Agenda 2008b). In one case a base in Gokwe Chireya was destroyed by MDC youth on 12 May and the occupants assaulted and forced to flee, while another in West Nicholson was dismantled after people in the area complained to the police of severe beatings administered to them by its occupants (ZPP 2008b; Bulawayo Agenda 2008b). These isolated instances aside, the bases continued to be the centre of operations for the intimidation of the civilian population in their areas in the second half of May 2008.

A modis vendi for intimidating rural people emerged over time. In some rural areas people were summoned to public meeting where they were threatened with violence and the destruction of their homes should they fail to vote for ZANU-PF's candidate in the presidential run-off, while MDC supporters and activists were told that they would be identified and dealt with in due course; in other areas the same threats were made by canvassing from door to door (Bulawayo Agenda 2008a; BULAWAYO AGENDA 2008d; BULAWAYO AGENDA 2008e). These threats were made good through beatings, torture or rape of those identified as opposition members or supporters, sometimes at their homes or, more usually en mass, after they had been abducted and taken to the base camps; on many occasions victims were denied access to medical treatment (ZPP 2008f).

Threats of violence, beatings and destruction of homes displaced many people, often entire families. In Chipinge East 50 families fled their homes, while in Chakari Mashonaland West attacks by a ZANU-PF aligned gang led to 50 people fleeing to the bush and hiding there, while death threats forced MDC activists in other areas to flee (ZPP 2008b; BULAWAYO AGENDA 2008e; BULAWAYO AGENDA 2008d; Bulawayo Agenda 2008a).

Between 18 and 25 May 16 people were abducted in various parts of the country, and one was tortured to death while another was hospitalised (Bulawayo Agenda 2008b; ZPP 2008f; ZPP 2008c). The destruction of homes and businesses by fire continued to be reported and between 8 and 25 May with at least 40 houses and a shop being destroyed in this way; nine of them, belonging to ZANU-PF supporters, in retaliatory attacks by MDC supporters (ZPP 2008b; ZPP 2008f; ZPP 2008c; BULAWAYO AGENDA 2008d). The ZPP reported the killings of a further 5 MDC members or suspected sympathisers, some beaten to death over an extended period of time, between 11 and 18 May (ZPP 2008b; ZPP 2008f). The bodies of four MDC activists abducted in Mashonaland were found dumped and mutilated days later (Bulawayo Agenda 2008b).

National observers deployed by ZESN continued to come under attack throughout the rural areas, being subject to the same treatment as MDC members and supporters described above (ZPP 2008e; ZESN 2008). Teachers, many of whom served as electoral officials during the harmonised election, have been subjected to public humiliation and beatings in front of their pupils resulting in many of them fleeing their areas and schools being closed as a result (ZPP 2008b; ZPP 2008d). In Manama, however, when faced with this threat, senior students armed themselves to ward off such an attack and so it failed to materialise (BULAWAYO AGENDA 2008d).

After the announcement of the date of the presidential run-off on 16 May (see Presidential run-off) Veritas (2008) expressed concern at the conditions under which the run-off would be held: "Both the extent and severity of post election violence are escalating alarmingly and the number of election-related deaths are increasing. There have been detentions and beatings of election agents from the March 29 poll. The displacement of large numbers of people is continuing and there are no facilities for internally displaced persons to vote. All this, together with the attribution of violence to State agents, does not make for an environment conducive to a free and fair election".

The leaders of the opposition MDC were subject to state harassment in the second half of May. On 12 May a member of the National Assembly was arrested on charges of public violence and on the 21 May two other members of the National Assembly were arrested for inciting violence and stirring revolt in the ranks of the police respectively (Sibanda 2008). On the 25 May two members of parliament and two civic leaders were arrested the Public Order and Security Act for holding an illegal political gathering after convening a community meeting (Sebatha 2008).

Senior members of the MDC were also abducted and some murdered. On 24 May the body of an MDC candidate for Senate who had been abducted on 22 May was found on a farm in Goromonzi, while a local council candidate who had been abducted in the same area in the same week remained missing (Karimakwenda 2008). The MDC claimed that by the 26 May 2008 number of members and supporters killed in violent attacks since the 29 March elections had reached 50 people (Mail & Guardian 2008). A spokesperson for the MDC said: "The perpetrators of this violence have devised a new strategy where they abduct key members of the party, and after some days you find the victims dead" (Mail & Guardian 2008).

The arrest civil society members continued and on 28 May 14 activists of Women and Men of Zimbabwe Arise were arrested for demonstrating against political violence in Harare (ZLHR 2008a). They appeared in court on 30 May, but the bail granted to them by the court was appealed by the state and they remained in custody (ZLHR 2008a). On 30 May two officers of the Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition were detained by police, but were later released without being charged (ZLHR 2008a). On 30 May Nicholas Goche, Minister of Social Welfare, banned Care International from continuing its humanitarian work in Masvinga Province (Kandi 2008). On 4 June Goche issued a notice suspending the field operations of all Private Voluntary Organizations and Non-Governmental Organizations (ZLHR 2008b).

References

BULAWAYO AGENDA 2008a "The Daily Agenda", 21 May.

BULAWAYO AGENDA 2008b "The Daily Agenda", 22 May.

BULAWAYO AGENDA 2008c 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 5 Mar 2010).

BULAWAYO AGENDA 2008d "The Daily Agenda", 19 May.

BULAWAYO AGENDA 2008e "The Daily Agenda", 20 May.

CRISIS IN ZIMBABWE COALITION 2008 "ZCTU leaders released" 19 May, [www] http://www.kubatana.net/html/archive/hr/080519ciz.asp?spec_code=080416peviodex &sector=ELEC&year=0&range_start=1&intMainYear=0&intTodayYear=2008 [opens new window] (accessed 5 Mar 2010).

GAPWUZ 2008 "Terror on the farms", 7 May, [www] http://www.kubatana.net/html/archive/agric/080507gapwuz.asp?sector=AGRIC [opens new window] (accessed 5 Mar 2010).

KANDI, T 2008 "Mugabe bans aid group from feeding villagers", 3 June, ZimOnline, [www] http://www.zimonline.co.za/Article.aspx?ArticleId=3249 [opens new window] (accessed 5 Mar 2010).

KARIMAKWENDA, T 2008 "Zimbabwe: Abducted MDC Candidate Jani Found Dead", SW Radio Africa, 26 May, [www] http://www.swradioafrica.com/news260508/jani260508.htm [opens new window] (accessed 5 Mar 2010).

MAIL & GUARDIAN 2008 "MDC says 50 killed in violent attacks", 27 May, [www] http://www.mg.co.za/article/2008-05-27-mdc-says-50-killed-in-violent-attacks [opens new window] (accessed 5 Mar 2010).

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 5 Mar 2010).

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 5 Mar 2010).

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 5 Mar 2010).

REPORTERS WITHOUT BORDERS 2008 "Editor of independent weekly freed on bail", 13 May, [www] http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=26935 [opens new window] (accessed 5 Mar 2010).

SEBATHA, L 2008 "4 jailed for holding meeting without police clearance", 28 May, ZimOnline, [www] http://www.zimonline.co.za/Article.aspx?ArticleId=3229 [opens new window] (accessed 5 Mar 2010).

SIBANDA, T 2008 "Two MDC parliamentarians arrested", SW Radio, 22 May, [www] http://www.swradioafrica.com/news210508/MDC210508.htm [opens new window] (accessed 5 Mar 2010).

STUDENT SOLIDARITY TRUST 2008 "No to victimization of ZCTU leadership", 15th May, [www] http://www.zimbabwejournalists.com/story.php?art_id=4134&cat=4 [opens new window] (accessed 5 Mar 2010).

SW RADIO 2008 "Extreme Violence in Shamva and Centenary", 6 May, [www] http://www.swradioafrica.com/news060508/extremeviol060508.htm [opens new window] (accessed 5 Mar 2010).

VERITAS 2008 "Bill Watch 20/2008", 17 May, Legal Brief [www] http://www.legalbrief.co.za/article.php?story=20080519095937766 [opens new window] (accessed 5 Mar 2010).

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 5 Mar 2010).

ZADHR 2008 "Escalating cases of organised violence and torture, and of intimidation of medical personnel", 8 May, [www] http://www.kubatana.net/html/archive/hr/080509zadhr.asp?sector=HR [opens new window] (accessed 5 Mar 2010).

ZESN 2008 "ZESN Continues To Receive Distressing Reports On Observers Attacks", 23 May, [www] http://www.swradioafrica.com/pages/zesn260508.htm [opens new window] (accessed 5 Mar 2010).

ZINASU 2008a "Students protest on Chinhoyi University campus", 7 May, [www] http://www.kubatana.net/html/archive/edutra/080507zinasu.asp?spec_code=080121 elecdex&sector=ELEC&year=0&range_start=1&intMainYear=0&intTodayYear=2008 [opens new window] (accessed 5 Mar 2010).

ZINASU 2008b "Student victimization alarming", 9 May, [www] http://www.kubatana.net/ html/archive/edutra/080509zinasu.asp?spec_code=080121elecdex&sector=ELEC&year= 0&range_start=1&intMainYear=0&intTodayYear=2008 [opens new window] (accessed 5 Mar 2010).

ZLHR 2008a "Unwarranted Attacks on Human Rights Defenders and Legitimate Political Opponents Continue", 3 June, [www] http://www.kubatana.net/html/archive/hr/ 080603zlhr.asp?spec_code=080416peviodex&sector=ELEC&year=0&range_start=1& intMainYear=0&intTodayYear=2008 [opens new window] (accessed 5 Mar 2010).

ZLHR 2008b "Information Relating to the Legal Status of the Notice Issued by N.T.Goche (MP)", 6 June.

ZPP 2008a "ZPP monitors post-election violence", 8 May, [www] http://www.kubatana.net/html/archive/elec/080508zpp.asp?sector=ELEC [opens new window] (accessed 5 Mar 2010).

ZPP 2008b "Information Alert 10", 16 May.

ZPP 2008c "Information Alert", 25 May.

ZPP 2008d "Information Alert", 23 May.

ZPP 2008e "Information Alert 20", 1 July.

ZPP 2008f "Information Alert", 19 May.