Zanu (PF) blamed for continued intolerance

“THE political landscape of Zimbabwe continues to be awash with intolerance and bias,” said ZPP in the report for the month of August.
Zanu (PF), said ZPP is mostly to blame even though MDC-T members are also involved in cases of political intolerance.

The human rights watchdog noted that farm invasions resurfaced across the country “in incidences that displayed the impunity with which some members of the ruling party, including chiefs, who are supposed to be custodians of law and order in villages, take liberties with no apparent repercussions.”
The invasions involved the illegal allocation of land by Zanu (PF) members In one incident in Nyatsime near Chitungwiza, a council surveyor was chased away by Zanu (PF) youths as he carried out his work.
Farm invasions took place in areas that included Mashonaland East and Mashonaland West provinces by members of the ruling party, said ZPP.

In other instances, Zanu (PF) members illegally parcelled out housing land through dubious cooperatives in such places like Mufakose and Kuwadzana in Harare.

“Some residents of Hatcliffe and Budiriro, among other areas, had their homes demolished, leaving them homeless.
“The repeated demolitions of homes, which is leaving hundreds of individuals stranded, continues to be a major concern in the country.

It robs affected families of their socio-economic rights,” added ZPP.
There were cases of intimidation and harassment that involved verbal abuse, physical violence and destruction of people’s property.

In Viko Village in Nyanga North, a perceived MDC-T supporter, Tatenda Mapani, had his lip cut with a knife by a Zanu (PF) supporter while in Mashonaland province’s Muzarabani district, a villager had his vegetables destroyed by ruling party members.
“Not only does violence get pride of place on the political landscape, but it also gets rewarded. This report gives an account of an instance in Glen View South, where constituency legislator, Pius Madzinga, allegedly rewarded acts of violence during recent by-elections.

“Madzinga is said to have allocated residential stands only to those youths who had ‘violently’ campaigned for him to be legislator and sidelined those youths who had supposedly not campaigned for him.
“ Such acts grant and perpetuate the same misguided sense of ‘political privilege’ to land which is denied others,” said ZPP.

In another incident residents of Marondera were ordered to vote a Zanu (PF) candidate, Lawrence Katsiru, during a recent by-election that Zanu (PF) won.
Katsiru allegedly sent youths and other party members to check on numbers of who had registered to vote and vowed to ‘deal’ with those who would not support his bid for office.

A “high number” of incidences in August centred around Heroes’ Day celebrations where people were forced to donate cash towards the anniversary.

Over the years, some members of the opposition parties have become reluctant to partake in the celebrations of Heroes’ Day and other related holidays on the grounds that the ruling party has taken ownership of the days making them partisan instead of national for all.

“Against that background, the forced contributions and the harassment and bias that comes with the exercise against perceived “enemies of the state” creates bad blood and altercations amongst parties.
“In a couple of reported instances some people who had contributed in cash were forced out of the celebrations on political grounds and when they claimed their money back, they were threatened with unspecified action,” said ZPP.

Zanu (PF) harassment, discrimination and other human rights violations are mostly aimed at MDC-T, MDC-N and People First members.

“Of particular interest in the wave of intra-party violence is the targeting of former Zanu (PF) political godfather for the Manicaland province, Didymus Mutasa, who having been a perpetrator in several instances of violence against political opponents during his heyday before being expelled from the ruling party, has of late been finding himself on the receiving end of intolerance,” added ZPP.