CHIPINGE - As the nation braces for another round of elections and the media awash with debate on their possibility, Chimbengende villagers are singing a different tune. Just a mention of the word elections itself is enough to invite their anger. At a public meeting organized by Platform for Youth Development (PYD) and Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition, the villagers cited high levels of violence and intimidation as chief reasons why they are reluctant to participate in any future polls.
Chimbengende village in Birchenough Bridge area, Chipinge west constituency is dominated by Zanu (PF) functionaries who react even to the smallest hint of an MDC activity. News of the meeting reached their ears and they spent the whole night running from place to place, threatening to beat, kill and burn houses of those who would attend it.
In Chimbengende village, Zanu (PF) youths are so much in control that villagers need their approval to attend any meetings organized by civil society. Even during the COPAC outreach programme only selected and specially coached people were allowed to participate.
Villagers said there not been much change from the kind of life they lived during the last elections. The same people who burnt their houses and tortured them then are still roaming around, terrorising them.
Tinototya teivaona veihamba munharaunda munomu ngekuti kukazi maelections tinozviziya kuti vanotangahe kutitaka (we fear so much when we see them in the area because if there are elections we know they will start beating again), said one villager.
In the 2008 elections villagers resorted to sleeping in the nearby Nyanga Mountains and Save River as Zanu (PF) youths patrolled the village all night, harassing any suspected of supporting the MDC. Their houses and shops were burnt down, husbands and parents murdered and they are now reluctant to participate in political activities.
Their future participation in elections is premised on the condition that SADC and international observers will be present at their polling station as this will guarantee the security of their votes. Many said they had not fully recovered from the trauma they experienced at the hands of Zanu (PF) thugs while others said they had not managed to get decent accommodation since their houses were burnt down.
They urged Crisis and civil society to work hard in ensuring that the SADC minimum conditions are realized before the next round of polls. The meeting was attended by Headman Goko and his four kraal heads with more than 80 people.
Post published in: News