Headman Muranganwa, who is 100 years old and whose real name is Zimunya Muonde, was accused of accepting maize seed from “sellouts”, in a warning letter which also threatened his son. The warning was received last Wednesday and that night three huts were burned to ashes.
Muonde’s daughter in law and her two young children were asleep in one of the huts that was set ablaze. Fortunately no one was hurt but property worth thousands of dollars was destroyed, including household items Muonde’s son bought in South Africa where he has been working.
A report was made to the police at Ngorima police station, but they simply said they would investigate. The MDC-T spokesman for Masvingo Province, Harrison Mudzuri, said he has no faith that the police will actually investigate and bring the matter to a conclusion.
Mudzuri told SW Radio Africa most Zimbabweans do not trust the police, the army, war vets, security agents and traditional leaders, because they are still partisan and act as agents of ZANU PF. He said food is being used to make villagers vote for a party they do not support.
“The police will simply say they will investigate and then claim their hands are tied. So we have a defenseless people against armed police, armed soldiers and CIOs. They also use traditional leaders to victimise our people, solely for being MDC supporters,” Mudzuri explained.
Following the first attack, the Muonde families told police they feared that the perpetrators would return as the letter had warned, and three days later their fears became true. A hut the family was using as a kitchen and two others were set on fire late Saturday night.
Mudzuri said ZANU PF is taking advantage of the drought that has hit some parts of the country, especially the Midlands, Manicaland and Masvingo, and they are using food to force people to support them.
“Our people are having serious problems accessing food handouts because they are being sidelined, being left out. It is impossible to have a free and fair election while these partisan acts continue,” he added.
The Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition released a statement this week that said they have received “credible reports” which “indicate that food aid distribution in Mashonaland Central and Muzarabani North District is being done on a partisan basis in favour of Zanu PF”.
The report went on to say they had received similar reports from Uzumba district, Mashonaland East and in Guruve North constituency, where soldiers had set up an army base at the offices of a local NGO, the Lower Guruve Development Association. SW Radio Africa
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