HARARE - Villagers in Makoni South constituency in Manicaland province are living in fear, after soldiers in uniform roamed the area ordering everyone to attend a Zanu (PF) meeting at Rukweza business centre on June 6.Their message has been clear, that if you don’t attend you will be in trouble. I haven’t seen the soldiers personally but villagers in the constituency have confirmed that they’re being instructed to attend the meeting without failure, said MDC-T MP for the area, Pishai Muchauraya.
The MP added he was not sure what the meeting was about, but assumed it would
be addressed by Zanu (PF) officials. He said the soldiers, moving around in army trucks, had been seen in the company of Happy Nyakuedzwa, an active Zanu (PF) functionary in the Makoni district.
Recently, war veterans’ leader Jabulani Sibanda was also forcing villagers, traditional leaders and government workers to attend campaign meetings in parts of Manicaland, ahead of the constitutional outreach programme.
Sibanda’s meetings heightened fears that war vets, who have traditionally led violent campaigns on behalf of ZANU PF, are mobilizing once again. Someone who went to one of Sibanda’s meetings said they were told to campaign for the ‘Kariba Draft’ constitution and that it was a matter of ‘life or death’ for Robert Mugabe’s party.
In recent weeks, human rights groups have reported that organised violence
has continued unabated against MDC supporters in many areas, despite the
formation of the government of national unity.
Advocacy group, Restoration of Human Rights Zimbabwe, documented sustained
incidences of organised violence in Muzarabani district of Mashonaland
central province.
Post published in: Politics