Tension is rising across the country ahead of next week’s elections with suspected Zanu PF activists and traditional leaders being exposed for spearheading campaigns to intimidate villagers and opposition Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) supporters.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa, who is seeking re-election for a second term, is accused of deploying Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) officers under the Forever Associates Zimbabwe (FAZ) banner to lead the intimidation campaigns in rural areas.
FAZ, an affiliate of the ruling party, is being assisted by another shadowy group with military links, Heritage Trust.
Zanu PF is also said to have roped in traditional leaders including headmen for its campaigns in rural areas where villagers are being coerced to vote for the ruling party or risk being banished, losing their land and food handouts.
In other cases, villagers are being commandeered to attend Zanu PF meetings, and at times, night vigils where registers are kept to identify those that fail to toe the line.
It is the same register that will be used on election day where villagers are being told that they will be led by their traditional leaders to the polling stations on August 23 or risk unexplained repercussions.
Some rural areas have been made no-go areas for the opposition.
Human rights’ watchdogs have been documenting cases of human rights violations including violence and intimidation, with the reports showing suspected Zanu PF members and traditional leaders as the main culprits.
- Corruption Watch: Get scared, 2023 is coming
- Corruption Watch: Get scared, 2023 is coming
- Letters: Ensuring Africa’s food security through availability of quality seeds
- Is military's involvement in politics compatible with democracy?
Keep Reading
“Some traditional leaders have been reported as major perpetrators of human rights violations as they continue to further the political party agendas,” says a report issued by the Zimbabwe Peace Project (ZPP) on Friday documenting such cases in Matabeleland North’s Binga and Tsholotsho districts. .
“ZPP continues to record some of them as being in the forefront of violating citizen’s rights in rural communities.
“ZPP is deeply concerned about the traditional leaders being conflated to be campaigning instruments in this report they are allegedly doing so on behalf of the ruling party Zanu PF.”
According to Section 281 of the constitution, traditional leaders must not be involved in partisan party politics.
“On 6 August in Saba village, ward 9 of Binga North, it was recorded that Chief Saba whose legal name is Charles Mudenda instructed all ward 9 village heads under his jurisdiction to monitor and disrupt any activity carried out by the main opposition, the CCC,” the ZPP said.
Chiefs Council president, Mtshana Khumalo, yesterday refused to comment when asked about traditional leaders dabbling in partisan Zanu PF politics saying he was driving.
His deputy Fortune Charumbira was not reachable for comment.
Charumbira, however, attracted controversy in the past over his open support for Zanu PF.
In 2020, the Elections Resource Centre dragged him to the High Court for refusing to make an apology for his continued partisan support of Zanu PF.
This followed a May 2018 High Court ruling ordering Charumbira to withdraw a statement he made the previous year where he urged fellow chiefs across the country to support the ruling party ahead of the 2018 elections.
He did not apologise.
CCC deputy spokesperson, Gift Ostallos Siziba, yesterday told The Standard that the ruling party had upped its terror campaign against the opposition.
“We recently lost one of our champions, may his soul rest in peace, in a clear sign that Zanu PF is in panic mode,” Siziba said.
A CCC supporter died after he was stoned while fleeing a Zanu PF mob in Harare’s Glenview suburb a fortnight ago.
“These are the last kicks of a dying horse, however, we are fortified and focused against the stumbling blocks against us,” Siziba said.
“We have overwhelmed the ruling party and its rigging machinery that is why they are resorting to terror campaigns against our supporters and tearing our posters.
“We condemn the violence and refuse to be dragged into an arena of violence.
“We forge ahead because we understand that these are the bruises of a democratic struggle.”
Zanu PF acting director of information, Farai Marapira, said the party was also a victim of violence by opposition supporters.
“We see that there is an organised attack against Zanu PF on social media.
“Violence is not just physical, it is also verbal,” Marapira said.
“We want to hear the voice of the opposition; they have been very quiet on the social media abuse.”
He said Zanu PF wants peaceful and violent free elections.
“The police have been doing their job and if anyone feels intimidated and if they feel that their rights have been violated; they should report to the police,” Marapira said.
Zimbabwe has a history of disputed elections marred with political violence and intimidation of opposition supporters.
In 2008, at least 200 opposition supporters were killed in the run up to a presidential run-off election pitting the late Robert Mugabe and Morgan Tsvangirai, also late.
