The major victims were members of the MDC-T, activist civic organizations such as the NCA, the ZCTU, WOZA, and others.
“It is clear that the overwhelming perpetrators have been supporters of Zanu (PF), the youth militia, the so-called “war veterans”, and, most serious of
all, state agents such as the police, the army, and the CIO,” says Sokwanele.
Its report is the first to demonstrate clearly the interactions between all these various groups of perpetrators, with the unequivocal demonstration that violence in Zimbabwe has been orchestrated by Zanu (PF), both as party and as government.
Such evidence has not been clearly demonstrated in the many reports on political violence drawn up by various civil society groups since 2000. This is clearly shown in the Sokwanele Report, which covers investigations in 15 of the Districts that have suffered the most.
These are located in Manicaland, Mashonaland East, Central and West, and Masvingo.
The report identifies the bases from which the terror campaigns were launched.
The 11 Appendices give details of who was involved in the perpetration of violence, how it was organized and resourced, and who suffered.
Government facilities such as schools, clinics, community centres and police stations were turned into places where gross human rights violations were perpetrated.
Ministers, Members of Parliament, policemen, army officers and other ranks, civil servants, Chiefs, village headmen, headmen, and many others are identified in the report as being involved in coercing the ordinary people of Zimbabwe to support Zanu (PF).
“Zanu (PF) has clearly developed a comprehensive strategy for dealing with other parties competing in elections that strongly draws on its control of the structures and processes operating in the rural areas.
Each aspect of a villager’s life, from the very ability to occupy land within the area, access to food, agricultural inputs, and, in some instances, access to his or her church, may be subject to the control of Zanu (PF)” says the report. – For more details please see the full report at our new website: www.thezimbabwean.co.uk and The Zimbabwean on Sunday, where we will publish extensive excerpts.
Post published in: Politics