.   The Zimbabwe Peace Project (ZPP) reported 16,400 cases of political
violence since January 2008, and has confirmed that this is the highest peak since 2006.
.   There are 167 documented deaths (with scores of people still
missing, presumed dead). Of these deaths 17 are women, generally killed because the perpetrators were unable to locate the primary victim and so murdered the women at home, or abducted and murdered them, dumping the bodies in remote places.
.   Over 4,900 victims have accessed medical treatment since 29 March
2008. 24%, or 1,176 of these victims have been women and girls. Many more casualties have been unable to reach any form of medical care.
.   More shockingly, 15% of these women are over the age of 60 years.
One 75-year-old sustained bilateral fractures of the arms and legs, and the oldest woman is 87 years, with a fracture of her arm.
.   15% of injuries were severe to life threatening, and 20% required
hospital admission. Many of the elderly are responsible for orphans, and were assaulted because of their children’s involvement in opposition politics.
.   The children in their care in many cases witnessed the violence. A
number of the injured women witnessed the abduction, or the murder of their husbands.
.   Most of the injured women reported loss of property, from looting to
burning of homesteads, and destruction of livestock. The average delay from time of injury to access to medical care was 24 days, and several of the severely injured women developed renal failure secondary to their injuries.
This time delay has been a combination of security considerations, lack of funding for transport, and the fact that there was no ‘safe and approachable’ health services nearby.
.   The majority of the displaced rural women and their children have
been unable to return to their homes due to continued security threats, and remain as vulnerable refugees in their own countries, separated from their husbands, homes and income generating projects.
Individual case histories that can only give a small insight into the horror that women in Zimbabwe have suffered in the past four months are available.
Grandmothers, mothers and children have suffered and witnessed true horror, and live with the knowledge that it is still not safe to return home, that they face repeat surgery and life long medical and psychological consequences. They have also lost everything they possessed and have worked for in a country that has very little left to offer in terms of social welfare and support.
NARRATIVES OF SURVIVORS: POST- MARCH 2008 ELECTION VIOLENCE
Case 1: Age 67
“I was at home and saw people gathered by my house. I tried to run away with my baby grandchild, Charity on my back with my husband and a toddler. Each way I tried to run there were people and I was trapped, then caught. They said ‘Kill these MDC people’. They used a pole to hit me and hit Charity, then I fell down and they thought I was dead. They left me lying there. When I saw them breaking and burning houses I ran away. Everything that I owned was burnt down.”
This lady sustained a fracture of her humerus, and severe soft tissue injuries of her buttocks. The infant on her back sustained bruising.
Case 2: Age 27
“My husband was a polling agent for MDC in Village 1 on the 29 March elections. After the election result was announced it was alleged by ZANU PF youths that 64 people from our village had voted for MDC. Earlier on during the campaign, ZANU PF supporters had received ploughs and scotch carts by the ZANU PF candidates. We were labelled MDC and were not given farming implements. A meeting was convened in Village 2 where we were forced to surrender our MDC T-shirts. My husband had to surrender his MDC card. We then thought that the situation was under control. On Sunday, the 4th of May, my husband was warned that Saviour Kasukuwere has sent truckloads of ZANU PF youths to sort out MDC supporters. He then decided to flee to Harare early in the morning on the 5th. We assumed that our lives were not in danger since we were women. At about 5pm on the 5th, about 100 ZANU PF youths came to my house. We were taken with about 100 other villagers to a gum tree plantation at Chaona Primary School. Amongst us were about 3 teachers who worked at the school. ZANU PF youths told us that they were punishing us for accepting salt from an MDC candidate who was vying for the M P post. They also questioned me why my husband was the MDC polling agent.
About 10 men took turns to beat me on my buttocks using wooden axe handles.
Some of them were stepping over my head so that we could not see them. I was hit about 100 times on the buttocks, 50 times on my back and 50 strokes under the feet. Joseph Madzurambende, my uncle, died due to the beatings. 2 teachers, Mutombo and Tapiwa Meda also died due to the assault. The people who were beating us were wearing ZANU PF shirts with photos of Saviour Kasukuwere and Joyce Majuru. All in all there were about 500 youths and masked ZNA soldiers who were shouting ‘shit Tsvangirai’. The T-shirts were also inscribed PARAQUAT. We were taken to hospital where I was admitted.
Some of the events I cannot remember since I lost consciousness. Up to now my husband does not know what happened to me. I cannot sit because my buttocks are so scarred. I was also assaulted under the feet and I cannot walk. I am in great pain.”
Case 3: Age 72
“A group of over 700 ZANU PF youth arrived at my house and accused me of harbouring supporters of the MDC who are my nephews. They struck and broke my windows using stones; they destroyed the goat pen and also the chicken run. They also killed some chickens. I was asleep with my grand children; I had one of my grandchildren on my back. I was asked to get out and I did.
They put the baby down. I was then assaulted all over the body using sticks.
I was struck on the head and collapsed with blood oozing from my head. They then moved onto the next village, which is an MDC councillor, Mukuruanopa Maenza Ward 9 and razed the homestead to the ground. We then fled to Harare the very next morning with my grandson whom they were looking for.”
Case 4: Age 35
“I was at home together with my family when about 10 ZANU PF youths wearing masks came and threw a stone at my roof before breaking into my home. They took my children outside and started assaulting them using batons and rubbers with wire. I then came out wanting them to let go my children, which they did. They started assaulting me with claps, rubbers with wire and baton sticks and took me to flowing sewerage outside my yard where they told me to get into the sewerage. They started beating me all over my body while in there and asked for my Form 3 son and threw him in sewerage as well, and told me have intercourse with him and I declined. They then assaulted me taking me back to my home. One who was not in a mask slapped me and they left.”
Case 5: Age 30
“On the 23rd of June 2008 at around 6 pm I dropped off from a bus at Katiyo shopping centre. I was confronted by a group of Zanu PF youths who quizzed me why I was coming from Harare. They accused me of wanting to remove the President from power. They started beating me using hands. One of them suggested that instead of beating me they would rather have sex with me. One of them with a mask over his face started raping me while others were holding me to the ground. The second man also raped me once. One of the youths refused and an argument ensued after which I went home. They did not use condoms during the ordeal. I reported the matter to the police but they said they could not help me unless I brought the names of the men who raped me. Since it was in the dark I could not identify anyone of them. After the incident I went to a clinic where I was given some tablets. Up to now I don’t know my HIV status. The commander of the youths was only known as Katabamoto.”
Post published in: News