Elections - now the violence begins

Intimidation, threats, evictions, all the trappings of a Zimbabwe election are starting to show themselves once again.

Things may seem quiet now, with the elections still at least a couple of months away. No meetings or rallies, a few posters... but don't be deceived. The savage thuggery that Zanu-PF operators regularly employ to make things go their way has begun yet again.

This week I talked to Terence Marime, a young activist for the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), who lives in Mamutse Village in Bikita West, Masvingo province. Or at least he did, until two weeks ago when a gang of young Zanu-PF hitmen turned up at his door.

They gave Terence - and 14 other local MDC activisits - a simple choice. Move out of the district. Or stay and be killed. "They accused me of working for a puppet party which is pursuing the interests of the West. I thought of going to the police for help - but when I realised who was behind these evictions, I knew I would be wasting my time."

The mastermind behind this plan to get rid of opposition workers in the area is of course, none other than the area'sw MP, Claudius Makova, Zanu-PF member of Parliament for Bikita West.

"We know some of the youths who came to throw us out," Terence told me. "They told us that they had been sent by Makova, because we were responsible for some of his political set-backs, and that if we remained in the village we could bring about his defeat in the coming elections."

All 15 of the evicted men, and their families, are currently living in a safe house in Masvingo, where the MDC are providing some assistance for them.

The MDC's Masvingo provincial chairman, Wilstaff Sitemele, confirmed the 15 evictions. "This is further proof of this regime's continued disregard of the rule of law," he told me. "It is also an indication that the ruling party is negotiating in bad faith at the ongoing talks with President Mbeki of South Africa."

But we knew that, didn't we? Evictions like those of Terence and his colleagues can be expected to continue, and indeed increase, as the elections draw closer. Anyone who hears of other examples should let us know on this blog.

Here at least we condemn all evictions - except one. That would be the highly justified eviction of Mugabe from State House. May we all live to see it.

Comments

[Hazvie]

I come from Bikita West, developments there are very bad. We hope we will be able to evict mugabe next year, we are fed up with this man