POST ELECTION VIOLENCE UPDATE

Friday 16 May 2008

MASHONALAND EAST – MARONDERA

PRISON OFFICERS BRUTALISED

Prison officers are the latest casualties of the brutal Zanu PF campaign of reprisal against opposition supporters. Twelve Marondera prison officers, who were accused of being MDC Supporters, were heavily assaulted by four members from the ruling party Zanu PF on Friday 16 May 2008 at St Thomas Prison in Marondera. The reports claim that Giant Makwinji, a notorious war veteran staying at 10 miles village, a few kilometres away from Marondera town, Major Kajese from the Zimbabwe national Army, Dr Choto a CIO, and Mr Kaserera an ex Zanu PF councillor invaded St Thomas prison around 2pm on Friday the 16th and forced all prison officers to attend a rally in the camp.  

According to inside sources within the prison camp, the Zanu PF were given a go ahead to proceed with the illegal rally by the acting Principle Prison Officer (PPO)Mr  Musanhu, who supplied a list of prison officers allegedly sympathetic to the opposition party MDC. All the resident officers and their families were ordered to gather in the prison grounds where the enlisted were beaten and forced to roll on the ground.  

The message send to the victims was clear. They were warned against ‘voting wrongly’ and that they should vote Zanu PF in the forthcoming Presidential runoff set for 27 July 2008. The assaulted officers were told that it was now an order not an option for them and their families to vote for Mugabe on the run-off to the presidential poll. Four people who sustained injuries had to seek medical attention at Marondera hospital.       

Sat 17 May 2008

Mashonaland Central -MUZARABANI

VILLAGE HEAD KILLED

On 17 May 2008 The village head of Sanzu Village in Muzarabani, Daniel Tafirenyika Kapfutsa, was kidnapped from his home and mob bitten by a gang of War Veterans and youth Militia. He died on his door step upon returning home due to serious injuries he sustained.

Although Zanu PF won in the constituency,  Mr Kapfurutsa’s crime was that there was an insurgent of the number of people who voted for Movement For Democratic Change the main opposition party in the recently held March 29 harmonised elections.  Muzarabani has always been a stronghold of the ruling party Zanu PF. This year’s election saw the ruling party losing its former constituencies to the opposition who now control two thirds majority in parliament.

The Mugabe led Zanu PF party continues to defy orders from the AU and UN to stop the terror campaign against the civilians.  As ROHR Zimbabwe, we observe with great concern the escalating statistics of casualties and deaths of innocent and vulnerable civilians. The post March 29 elections violence is causing unnecessary loss of lives, homes and livelihood, further plunging the nation in an abyss of a deep political chaos.