Zimbabwe holds a second presidential election on June 27 after Tsvangirai
defeated President Robert Mugabe in a March 29 ballot but failed to garner
enough more than 50 percent of the vote required to takeover the presidency.
Tsvangirai’s Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) party, Western governments
and human rights groups have accused Mugabe of unleashing the army and
militias of his ruling ZANU PF party to beat and torture opposition
supporters in a bid to intimidate them to back him in the run-off
presidential ballot.
Tsvangirai, who launched a special fund to assist victims of political
violence, said marauding ZANU PF gangs had displaced more than 25 000 MDC
supporters who had virtually become refugees in their own country.
He said: “Over 50 Zimbabweans have been killed in the past six weeks. More
than 25 000 people have been displaced. I have been saddened that
Zimbabweans are willing to shed the blood of other Zimbabweans over
political differences.
“We are taking down the names of those involved in these heinous crimes and
we know them. We will approach the Attorney General’s office to have these
people prosecuted. We are also committed to a process of truth and justice
once we get into government. I don’t believe anyone who has murdered a
person should be forgiven.”
Home Affairs Minister Kembo Mohadi was not immediately available to comment
on Tsvangirai’s claims of rising political murders. But the Harare
administration denies authorising violence and instead says it is the MDC
that has carried out political violence in order to tarnish Mugabe’s name.
Political analysts say Tsvangirai’s frequent referrence to the need for a
truth and justice commission is partly the reason Mugabe will not give up
power easily for fear that such a commission could eventually see him
dragged to court to face charges of violating human rights during his
28-year rule.
Mugabe enters the June run-off as an underdog after garnering 43.2 percent
of the vote compared to 47.8 percent won by Tsvangirai in March.
The run-off election is being held amid worsening food shortages and an
economic recession shown in the world’s highest inflation rate of more than
165 000 percent.
Such a scenario would mean certain and emphatic electoral defeat for any
sitting government but analysts say a blistering campaign of political
violence against MDC structures and supporters might just tilt the scales in
favour of Mugabe. – ZimOnline
Post published in: News