Villagers pay ‘protection’ fees

The report comes amid revelations by the MDC that hundreds of its supporters have fled into neighbouring Mozambique to escape the attacks.

"People have become prisoners in their own communities as they are forced to pay protection fees for their continued stay in these communities," CRD said in a report issued here last week. "Violence has impacted negatively on the communities in Manicaland. People have lost their sources of livelihood in the form of cattle, land dispossession and resource deprivation on political grounds; some have lost their homes and have been forced out of their communities and driven to neighbouring countries like Mozambique."

CRD said the political and social environment in Manicaland Province was "very volatile". The environment was characterized by conflict which manifested in the form of violence, intimidation, intolerance and fear.

"Competition for political control among political parties has polarized communities and incidences of abuse of power at community level by community leaders have become the order of the day. CRD observed for the past years that the jostling for power by political parties at grassroots level has resulted in the abuse and harassment

of women by political agencies and hooligans.

"Political parties continue to use youth to perpetrate violence against members of the communities without fear of reprisal. Thus political competition has not only instigated direct forms of violence on the communities but has also brewed both cultural and structural forms of violence as well."

The CRD said political clashes between parties in the communities 'continued unabated' and caused loss of lives, in some cases leaving victims with permanent injuries. The organisation also blamed 'failure' by the inclusive government to undertake the national healing process in order to heal victims and perpetrators of violence that occurred in the 2008 presidential run-off.

"This has made the situation much more deplorable creating deep seated hatred and respite among members of the communities. Political polarization has also impeded developmental projects and as result the province is lagging behind in terms of development."

The CRD said it had initiated various programmes to educate the community about the dangers of political violence but these were shunned by Zanu (PF) youths.