(Johannesburg, May 16, 2008) – Supporters of the ruling ZANU-PF party in
Zimbabwe tortured more than 70 people, including six men to death, in a
“re-education” meeting on May 5, 2008 in Mashonaland Central, Human Rights
Watch said today. The government’s campaign of organized terror and violence
against the political opposition is continuing despite agreement to hold a
presidential runoff election.
“Political compromise over the runoff election has not reduced government
atrocities against the opposition,” said Georgette Gagnon, Africa director
at Human Rights Watch. “With the setting of a June 27 runoff, concerned
governments have a greater obligation than ever to press the government to
bring the violence to a halt.”
Human Rights Watch field investigations confirmed the deaths from torture of
six men punished for their real or presumed support for the opposition
Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), and the torture of more than 70 others
on May 5. Many were MDC supporters, but one who died was tortured because he
owned a radio, which raised his attackers’ suspicions. Retired Major Cairo
Mhandu with ZANU-PF youths, members of a youth militia and “war veterans,”
held a “re-education” meeting in Chaona primary school in Mashonaland
Central in which some 300 villagers from Chiweshe and three neighboring
villages were forced to attend. Eyewitnesses told Human Rights Watch that
Mhandu addressed the meeting saying, “This community needs to be taught a
lesson. It needs re-education. We want people to come forward and confess
about their links with the MDC and surrender to ZANU-PF.”
When no one came forward, a ZANU-PF youth grabbed a 76-year-old woman and
forced her to lie on her stomach in front of the crowd and started beating
her buttocks with logs. After a few minutes, three men intervened, saying
they were MDC, to stop the beating. Mhandu encouraged more to come forward,
saying, “This is what we want.”
Participants at the meeting said the organizers had drawn up a long list of
suspected MDC activists, 20 of whom were singled out for torture. As they
were beaten, the abusers taunted each to reveal names of at least five other
activists. Some of the victims shouted out names of people, who were then
beaten.
Eyewitnesses said the torture continued throughout the day. The ZANU-PF
youth and “war veterans” would beat three or four people at one time. Legs
tied and handcuffed, women were stripped naked or down to their underwear
and forced to lie on their stomachs together with men. Their mouths were
bound to prevent them from screaming. Standing on either side of each
victim, three youths with thick sticks took turns to beat them on the legs,
back and buttocks. Some men also had wire tied around their genitals and
suffered severe damage. More than 70 people were beaten and some 30
hospitalized, many requiring skin grafts. Human Rights Watch has confirmed
that two men died on the spot, one died at home of injuries, and three
others died later at the hospital. Three of those who died had severely
mutilated genitals and one had crushed testicles. Medical reports confirm
the deaths were a direct result of the injuries sustained under torture. The
authorities have not arrested anyone for these criminal acts. These
‘re-education’ meetings are still taking place.
In March 2008, the MDC decisively defeated the ruling ZANU-PF in the
parliamentary elections. The MDC also won the presidential elections, but
the official results did not give MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai an absolute
majority, necessitating a runoff election. On May 16, the date of the runoff
was set for June 27, 2008.
In the wake of the elections, ZANU-PF and its allies set up torture camps in
opposition strongholds and areas where the opposition has gained significant
support (http://www.hrw.org/english/docs/2008/04/19/zimbab18604.htm). On May
7, the Zimbabwean army acknowledged the existence of torture camps and has
tried to distance itself from any responsibility. Shortly after, the police
stated their intention to dismantle them. The government, however, has taken
no action against any perpetrators, but has merely sought to portray without
any evidence that responsibility for the torture camps also resides with the
MDC.
Human Rights Watch called upon the Southern African Development Community
(SADC) to take all available measures to provide for the protection of all
Zimbabweans in the period before the runoff. Should SADC be unable to
fulfill this role, the African Union should do so.
“For any runoff to have credibility, this escalating government-sponsored
violence must stop, investigations must lead to the arrest of key suspected
perpetrators and human rights monitors must be deployed throughout
 Zimbabwe,” Gagnon said. “African election observers are desperately needed,
but they will accomplish little if the rampant violence continues.”
Human Rights Watch
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