The small crowd watching who'd gathered under a tree for shade in
Chirivo village, Mbire district, near the border with Mozambique,
smiled in approval. It was a public sign that despite political
violence conducted by the two parties against rival supporters last
year, when Zimbabwe was about to hold run-off presidential elections,
reconciliation between former political rivals is possible, if not easy
to achieve.
The area is a traditional stronghold of Zanu(PF) – the party headed by
Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe. Villagers in Chirivo describe the
violence as a time of war, which pitted neighbour against neighbour.
Houses were burnt, possessions destroyed, and people were beaten by
rival gangs – some were left disabled. Others fled into the forest for
safety.
Mabodhoro Nyamangara, a father of three children, showed me marks on
his shoulder left by gangs who attacked his house one night. They used
a stick with a circular head against me, he said, pointing to the
scars. They were Zanu(PF) supporters who accused me of being a
supporter of the MDC, which I'm not. I back Zanu(PF). I shouted for help
and then fights broke out.
I thought I'd die; but I was saved by the grace of God.
At a national level, attempts are being made to unify a country that
has been riven by political differences and deep mistrust. Zimbabwe's
main opposition leader, Morgan Tsvangirai, of the MDC, has been sworn
in as Prime Minister in a power-sharing government of national unity
with his erstwhile political rival President Robert Mugabe, who has
held power for nearly three decades.
It is a huge task. Opposition activists remain in prison, and in some
parts of the country there have been new reports of political violence,
with rival political parties taking revenge for percived past
injustices.
In Chirivo, and several other villages in Mbire district – a
flood-prone, food-insecure region, lacking electricity, any telephone
network and with just four kilometres of paved roads – efforts are
underway to try to rebuild divided communities, both literally and
psychologically. They're being implemented by a local non-governmental
group, the Lower Guruve Development Association (LGDA), with support
from Oxfam.
The project draws on the support of a local pastor, David Mupfumbira,
a board member of the LGDA. He preaches non-denominational sermons
highlighting the need for reconciliation and forgiveness, counsels
individual villagers, and has enlisted the help of a local drama group,
which incorporates educational messages in its work. It's already
showing some positive results.
There was political violence and a breakdown of communication among the villagers, said Pastor Mupfumbira.
Politicians from outside had come here before the election and were
forcing people to support their parties; they were at loggerheads and
fighting.
It's not good for people to be like this. If people are divided, you cannot rebuild communities.
Psychological and physical rebuilding has already taken place in one
village, Mudzongachiso, home to around 600 people, where 17 houses were
destroyed by rival political supporters last year. The community has
been counselled by Pastor Mupfumbira. They've set aside their
differences and rebuilt their homes together.
Similar steps towards reconciliation are now underway in the adjacent village of Chirivo.
It was very courageous of us to begin this process, admitted 36
year-old villager Francisca Marume. But when hunger struck Zimbabwe,
when hardship came, it didn't just affect Zanu-PF supporters or MDC
supporters; it affected us all. Crops were lost; people suffered.
Before, if you needed help you could turn to your neighbour; but after
all the political fighting, we couldn't do that; we were enemies. We
came to realise, though, that we needed to unite, to share basic
foodstuffs.
Village head Mike Chirivo said the intervention was both necessary and
timely. We were living in a small village, but we were enemies. The
pastor made us realise that we should let our enmity go; that we were
neighbours.
Thanks to his mediation, things are getting better and people are
happier. I've gone over to Farmer Matope's house to eat dinner. I've
learnt that we have to forgive each other, that we are fellow comrades.
But the process is fragile and tensions are not far from the surface.
The atmosphere becomes more tense when Mr Chirivo complains that he
only has one set of clothes to wear, since opposition MDC supporters
burned his possessions. Other villagers start to speak, saying they
and others suffered more, as many had their homes destroyed.
The mood shifts again when others talk about new signs of cooperation
between former foes. Zanu-PF supporter Special Patsvuka explained that
MDC supporters from another village, wearing sacks over their heads as
a disguise, had burnt down his home. When I was rebuilding my house,
some MDC people here came to help me, he said.
I've told Farmer Matope that when he gets bricks to build his bedroom,
which was destroyed in the violence, I will come and help him.
People need to help each other. Although we destroyed each other's
houses, we can also rebuild. We're very sorry about what has happened;
but think we can also move forward together, as people from the same
village.
Oxfam
Post published in: News