Human rights watchdogs Restoration of Human Rights (ROHR) and Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition say the situation raises questions about the impartiality of the police, who are reported to be allowing perpetrators of political violence to roam free.
ROHR says its has received details of more than 30 cases of families being hounded out because of their MDC allegiance at a time when the militia seems to be preparing for elections in 2011.
These cases of perpetual intimidation and displacement of citizens are worrisome. The problem is that we have a partisan police force which continues to get orders from certain politicians who are aligned to a certain political party, said ROHR in a statement.
Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition said the police should not ignore their constitutional mandate of protecting citizens.
The constant use of the joint monitoring committee (JOMIC) in dealing with such disturbances is tantamount to normalising the abnormal and seeks to entrench and justify the use of violence among innocent citizens. Violence is criminal and criminals should be arrested, said a Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition statement on Monday.
The chair of the MDC (T) Marambapfungwe district, Chengetai Chimunhu, said Zanu had relaunched an operation called Surrender, and re-established bases at local primary schools.
He named war veterans who, he said, were forcibly training youth militia in torture methods, and added that headmen in the area were being stripped of their powers for their continued affiliation to the MDC.
JOMIC liaison officer Lovemore Kadenge confirmed the reports of violence.
It is true that JOMIC has been receiving numerous letters complaining of violence and other breaches to the GPA countrywide, specifically Mashonaland Central and East. It is disturbing to note that this is despite visits made by the JOMIC secretariat to the areas in question, which were done in the presence of all representatives of parties to the GPA.
I can reliably confirm that the complaints received by JOMIC relate to threats of violence, and burning of homes being perpetrated by well-known Zanu (PF) activists sponsored by legislators of the party. Victims in all the cases are known MDC (T) activists, said Kadenge.
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