Vice-President Joice Mujuru and her husband Solomon are reported to have
strongly objected to the use of violence to coerce rural voters into voting
for Robert Mugabe in the second round of the presidential poll.
The Zimbabwe Independent reported Friday that the Mujurus raised their
objections directly to Mugabe during a politburo meeting on Wednesday. Both
husband and wife queried why war veterans were targeting people in
Mashonaland East and Central provinces where Mugabe and Zanu-PF garnered
most votes in last month’s harmonised elections. But according to the paper,
Mugabe sidestepped the subject.
Although Zanu-PF had the popular vote in the two provinces, the MDC made
significant inroads and managed to grab a number of parliamentary seats in
the two provinces. The issue of violence has apparently divided the top
leadership of Zanu-PF with some believing it will cost them dearly on 27th
June.
Human rights campaigners have recorded a number of atrocities that have been
committed in Mashonaland province. Recently, in one village alone five MDC
activists were tortured to death while several others were left fighting for
their lives. Zanu-PF officials are reported to have led a militia group that
rounded up the villagers and beat them using barbed wire.
Hebson Makuvise, the MDC’s chief representative in the UK said violence will
not help Mugabe in his bid to cling to power. He said if the use of violence
worked, Mugabe would have long acquired the support of people in
Matebeleland where he committed the ‘worst crimes against humanity.’
Ever since the Gukurahundi atrocities, Mugabe and his party have failed to
win an election against both ZAPU and the MDC in that region.
‘The MDC is determined to finish him off. People in Zimbabwe are just fed up
with him, it would be a miracle if he gets the same number of votes he got
in the first round,’ said Makuvise.
SWAfrica Radio
Post published in: News