Act now to prevent poll violence: Muchinguri

Zanu (PF) secretary for womens affairs Oppah Muchinguri said: I am worried about what happened last year. We have to put a safety net and make sure that the violence that happened last year does not happen again.

Muchinguri, who was speaking at the launch in Harare of a gender report by the Women in Politics Support Networklas Wednesday, said political parties should start campaigning against political violence now and not wait for election time.

Zimbabwe is expected to hold fresh elections either at the end of 2010 or in early 2011 once a new constitution is put in place and that is expected to pave way for free and fair polls.

But human rights groups say Zanu (PF) and members of the fiercely pro-Mugabe security forces are committing violence in some parts of the country to try and intimidate voters into backing a controversial draft constitution known as the Kariba draft as the basis of new constitution.

The Kariba draft was prepared by Zanu (PF) and MDC officials but critics say the document should be discarded because it leaves Mugabes immense powers untouched.

Unprecedented violence broke out across Zimbabwe last year immediately after it became clear Mugabe had lost a first round presidential vote to MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai who, however, failed to achieve outright victory to avoid a second round run-off poll.

Human rights groups blame the violence on Zanu (PF) supporters and security forces who they say resorted to terror tactics to forestall what had looked a sure defeat for Mugabe in the decisive second round ballot.

However Tsvangirai pulled out of the second round vote because of attacks against his supporters.

Mugabe and Tsvangirai eventually bowed to pressure from southern African leaders to agree to form a government of national unity that has been able to end hyperinflation to stabilise the economy.

But the coalition government has struggled to enforce the rule of law with frequent reports of political violence and farm invasions blamed on the army and militant supporters of Zanu (PF).