HARARE - Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai Civil society has persistently warned against a hurried 2011 election, citing high political tensions, as well as the failure to dismantle structures of violence as reasons why a June 2008 scenario is likely to repeat itself.
Last Monday, the Movement for Democratic Change leader toned down on the prospect of an early poll.I will not commit to an election if it is going to be a declaration of war because we are supposed to show Sadc, the EU and the AU that we are mature democrats, Tsvangirai said.This was after listening to gruesome accounts by victims at a meeting organised by Heal Zimbabwe Trust, a community based national healing organisation that used last weeks event to bring together politicians, government officials, victims, medical doctors who treated victims and civil society to discuss reconcilliation and healing.Some of the victims, whose testimonies left some delegates in tears, said conditions remained tense. ZANU PF activists were visibly organising and threatening community members with worse violence, they said.Some ZANU PF supporters have opened a base at a place called Donoro in Epworth where they meet on Wednesdays and Saturdays. They sing songs like Ndikafunga bumbiro ndinorara ndigere and shout slogans like Vakawirirana ndovari kumusuro varipasi hatina (I will be vigilant when it comes to the constitution making process. It is only political leaders who agree, not us ordinary supporters), said a woman from Epworth who suffered multiple attacks in 2008. She queried the effectiveness of government organs such as the Joint Monitoring and Implementation Committee (Jomic) set up to monitor the implementation of the Inter-Party Political Agreement and diffuse political tensionsWhat are you going to do about that as Jomic. We are being intimidated and we are afraid?Heal Zimbabwe Trust said it had grouped survivors into five clusters namely: Those with permanent injuries Those who lost their property during the violence period. Those who were sexually abused. Widows and widowers. Those who were arrested, tortured and released several times. Relatives of those who disappeared during the political violence period and are yet to be located.