GOKWE - Uniformed soldiers and war veterans have set up torture bases in the Manoti, Chireya, Kana and Masemo areas and are threatening MDC supporters who refuse to support the Kariba draft constitution, a senior MDC Midlands official has revealed.
Provincial chair Cephas Zimuti said the soldiers were working in cahoots with Zanu (PF) militia in Gokwe and Chakari. They were forcing villagers to take part in their toyi toyi moves, chanting revolutionary songs, praising Zanu and promoting the Kariba draft.
He said they were forcing villagers to attend regular meetings at the torture bases, where they were continuously reminded about the atrocities surrounding the 2008 presidential run-off.
At Manoti DDF offices, uniformed soldiers are now residing there after re-opening last week one of the bases that they used to torture MDC supporters in June 2008. This time, they have dug a deep pit, into which they are threatening to throw everyone suspected of opposing Zanu (PF), he said.
We have our youths who were last week brutalised by scores of war veterans in Chakari at Patchway after they had been found wearing MDC T-shirts and loitering in the area at a time the war vets were conducting a meeting with villagers. One of the youths was seriously injured.
What is disappointing, continued Zimuti, is that we are reporting all these cases and the police seem not to take any action, and we are telling our people not to fight back because we are always a principled party, which believes in non-violent activities.
He said the announcement by the government that the constitution-making process was going to come to life had resulted in Zanu (PF) youths and war veterans in Midlands harassing MDC supporters.
There are serious complaints from villagers in all places of the province we are visiting that they are told not to speak at the constitution meetings when the outreach teams visit them. They are saying only those selected by Zanu (PF) to speak will be allowed to, and anyone who opposes that position will pay the price after the COPAC team has gone, he said.
A senior MDC National Council member said they had written a letter to the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and to Jacob Zuma complaining about continued violence by Zanu (PF) against MDC members.
As the supreme party decision-making body we recently appealed for SADC and the [political agreement] facilitators intervention in this matter because it is affecting us. We are waiting for their responses.
Co-Home Affairs Minister Giles Mutsekwa said intimidation was a serious offence and should not be tolerated.
As you know, the Zimbabwean police has a long history and transforming it is going to take us some time. However, as the ministry, we urge everyone who has been intimidated to make formal reports and pursue the matter using the existing structures so that justice is instituted.
All these cases and continued violence should have been addressed by the organ of national healing and reconciliation that has not been effective as we wanted it to be.
However during the constitution-making process. There are going to be dozens of police officers monitoring the process and no harm is going to be done to anyone for participating, said Mutsekwa.
Post published in: News