Letter from America 2007
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Zimbabwe Information Center in North America
A project of the Global Zimbabwe Forum -USA
ZANUPF violence against MDC escalates
IN THE LAST 48 HOURS 8 PEOPLE HAVE BEEN CONFIRMED BEATEN TO DEATH BY MILITIA IN CAMOFLAGE UNIFORMS IN THE SHAMVA NORTH AREA. OVER 30 ARE BADLY INJURED. TRUCKS HAVE BEEN DESPATCHED TO PICK UP THE INJURED AND FERRY THEM TO SAFETY AND MEDICAL ATTENTION.
30 HOUSES HAVE BEEN BURNED IN THE SAME AREA, LEAVING OVER 100 HOMELESS AND WITHOUT FOOD.
MORE INJURED - 10 TO OUR KNOWLEDGE IN THE MAZOE AREA. THEY ARE ALSO BEING PICKED UP.
AN EX ARMY OFFICER WHO WAS PART OF AN MDC SUPPORT GROUP WAS ABDUCTED FROM NEAR HIS HOME TWO WEEKS AGO. HE WAS TAKEN TO CRANBORNE ARMY BARRACKS AND TORTURED. HE DIED AS A RESULT OF THE TORTURE YESTERDAY. HIS NAME WILL BE RELEASED ONCE FAMILY HAVE BEEN INFORMED.
THIS IS MUGABE'S "CAMPAIGNING" FOR A RE-RUN OF THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION. USING THE MILITIA AND SENIOR ARMY OFFICERS TO BRUTALISE AND KILL ANYONE CONSTRUED TO BE A PART OF THE MDC. LIVESTOCK AND DOMESTIC ANIMALS ARE STILL BEING BURNED TO DEATH.
WHILE SADC STANDS BY AND PRESIDENT MBEKI SUPPORTS MUGABE, MANY MORE ZIMBABWEANS WILL BE BRUTALISED OR BEATEN TO DEATH.
THE VIOLENCE HAS TO BE STOPPED IMMEDIATELY. PRESIDENT MBEKI HAS AS MUCH BLOOD ON HIS HANDS AS ZANU PF AND MUGABE.
More MDC supporters harassed by ZANUPF
4 truck loads of "army" (described as too young to be army) aka militia moved from Silobela to Zhombe which is approx. 50 kms from Kwe Kwe.
Nyanga - Nyamaropa. Large militia camp recently set up and occupants reported to be being trained by Chinese (Korean?) military personell.
Mudzi West - Masarakufa Ward (Kotwa area) Gilbert Nyagupe (Nyagupe Village) MDC member, axed to death by his brother (ZPF youth) and Jessie Nau on 27/4/08.
Mudzi - Kondo village - Peter Kadurira and his wife and children were beaten up at midnight last night (Monday). the children were stitched up at Kotwa hospital but the parents are reported to be in a bad way.
Gokwe - An MDC official was carrying 30 badly injured assault victims to Harare in his lorry (four days ago). He was stopped at a police road block, his lorry confiscated and the IP's sent back to their homes.
6 new deaths were reported yesterday (Monday). It is often difficult to verify these deaths, other than verbal confirmation, as the relatives are made to bury the body immediately. If the body does go for a Post Mortem, the CIO are present and they hijack the PM report.
How many more deaths must there be? How many more crimes against men, women, children of all ages before something is done to stop this evil. Brother killing brother. Areas being closed off by road blocks preventing the injured from seeking medical attention, preventing the movement of food - does this sound a bit like Matabeleland in the 1982 massacre of over 20,000 Matabeles?????
The humanitarian crisis is escalating by the hour!!!! An update of post election violence stats will be emailed tonight.
ONGOING ARRESTS OF PRESIDING OFFICERS
Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) notes with great concern the
continuing arrests and detention of Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC)
presiding officers, almost all of whom are teachers. The Zimbabwe education
system has in recent years been severely undermined by the shortage of
resources, brain drain and harsh economic conditions. This is now being
exacerbated by the attacks on teachers seconded to ZEC.
ZLHR is greatly concerned that some schools will not be fully functional due
to the recent and ongoing arrests of some of the teaching staff. Schools
opened on 29 April 2008. The existing severe shortage of teachers has been
exacerbated by arrests of ZEC presiding officers who are employed as
teachers and headmasters and headmistresses across the country. These
arrests have been actuated after some insignificant anomalies were
discovered during the ongoing recounts and which can easily be attributed to
human error.
The majority of these presiding officers are being charged with criminal
abuse of duty as public officers, fraud, or violation of the Electoral Act
by allegedly willfully failing to conduct their duties during the harmonized
elections. All detainees represented by ZLHR members have denied the charges
against them.
Currently at least 7 presiding officers are detained in custody at Bikita
police station. Seven (7) were arrested in Zaka, 22 presiding officers
appeared at Chipinge court, while 1 presiding officer was detained at
Murambinda police station. At least 50 presiding officers have been arrested
in Masvingo since 21 April 2008, some of whom have been arraigned before the
Masvingo Magistrates’ Court. At least 7 presiding officers who are
headmasters at some schools in Masvingo province continue to be incarcerated
in custody. Although they had been granted bail by the magistrate on 24
April 2008, the prosecutor invoked the Criminal Procedure and Evidence Act
and appealed against the bail decision to ensure that the headmasters were
not released pending the hearing of the appeal as is provided for in the
Act. These figures are additional to the original 34 cases which ZLHR
previously reported upon.
The right to education is enshrined in the African Charter on the Rights and
Welfare of the Child and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child to
which Zimbabwe has voluntarily acceded. The state, through its persecution
of ZEC officers, is in willful violation of its international obligations.
ZLHR urges the government of Zimbabwe to ensure that human resources,
especially teachers in their capacity as human rights defenders who advance
the right to education, are not subjected to any form of harassment, or
arbitrary arrests that negatively impact on their ability to perform their
duties diligently.
ZLHR sees these arrests as persecution of human rights defenders, and as an
attempt to ensure that, in the event of a presidential run-off, such
officers will refuse to participate, thus allowing the state to justify its
use of law enforcement agents, intelligence officers, war veterans and
graduates of the National Youth Service to manage the electoral process to
benefit one presidential candidate to whom they owe their political and
human survival.
In addition, ZLHR warns police, soldiers, intelligence officers, as well as
other non-state actors acting with the acquiescence of the state, involved
in the arrest, detention and interrogation of the affected ZEC officers that
their actions constitute an unconstitutional interference with the
independence and integrity of the national elections management body, for
which identified perpetrators will face individual criminal responsibility
under national and international law. As such, they should moderate their
behavior accordingly, or be willing to face the legal consequences.
It's official MDC has won the parliamentary elections Murdered by Mugabe's thugs HARARE – Zimbabwe’s opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) party has said 10 of its supporters have been murdered in an orgy of violence it blamed on state security agents and militant activists of President Robert Mugabe’s ZANU PF party.
The MDC, which says violence started after it defeated ZANU PF in elections on March 29, has claimed that another 3 000 supporters have been displaced from their homes.
The opposition party has described the violence as a war being waged by state security agents and ZANU PF militias against Zimbabweans in a bid to cow them to back Mugabe in an anticipated run-off against Tsvangirai.
List of Victims:
Tapiwa Mumbwanda (57) -- From Hurungwe West constituency in Mashonaland West province. He was attacked and murdered near his home by suspected ZANU PF activists on April 12. Hurungwe West is one of the areas hardest hit by political violence.
Murunde Tembo (age unknown) – From Mudzi North constituency in Mashonaland East province. He was brutally assaulted by suspected ZANU PF activists on April 15. He sustained serious injuries and broken legs. He died on his way to hospital.
Tatenda Chibika (age unknown) -- From Mutoko East constituency in Mashonaland East province. He was shot and killed by ZANU PF supporter and war veteran Richard Makoni on April 17. The incident happened at Chibeta rural business centre in the constituency.
Moses Bashitiwayo (age unknown) -- From Maramba-Pfungwe constituency in Mashonaland East province. Suspected ZANU PF supporters murdered him on April 17.
Moses Makiwa (age unknown) -- From Lower Watershed area in Wedza constituency in Mashonaland East province. He was brutally assaulted and killed by ZANU PF supporters. He was buried on 19 April in Wedza.
Brighton Mbwera Jr. (5) -- From Manyika village in Uzumba constituency in Mashonaland East province. He was burnt to death after ZANU PF activists set a house he was sleeping in on fire on April 18.
The ZANU PF activists forced the parents (who are members of the MDC) to bury their child’s body without a postmortem being done. However, police intervened and ordered the body exhumed so that a postmortem could be conducted.
What Zimbabweans told Mugabe on election day! Alyce in Wonderland in New York.. The former president of Zimbabwe, Robert Mugabe, was used to being met at Harare airport by a rent-a-crowd mob of women wearing long dresses with bug splatters of Mugabe’s pictures on their butts, something the late Edison Zvobgo used to despise and ridicule. “Imagine,” he once said “someone’s wife wearing Mugabe’s picture on her butts!”
If the same Mugabe were to arrive in New York today he would encounter a different kind of Zimbabwean women most likely ready, willing and able to lynch him from the highest tree.
The Movement for Democratic Change has gone high gear. A group of mostly Zimbabwean women recently formed a branch of the MDC, and it has become the talk of the town because of their dynamism and what they were able to accomplish in a matter of days. Full story
Post election violence: Mugabe 's thugs wreak havoc in Zimbabwe
1. Chidya Village, Mutoko East Constituency.
On 15 April 2008 persons in army uniform and lead by ZANU PF Member of Parliament for Mutoko East, Ojo Nyakudanga and a Colonel Katsvairo arrived in the village and ordered that everyone be rounded up, presumably for re-education. In panic the villagers fled in all directions and in the process Tendai Chibika, aged about 30 years, was shot in the head and died instantly. The team reports that his body remains in the open and no one is being allowed to reclaim it for burial. At any rate the inhabitants are now all living in the mountains for fear of similar treatment at the hands of these people.
On the same occasion Steven John Martin, of roughly the same age, was seen to be arrested by this group, beaten up seriously and later taken away. He has not been seen since and inhabitants fear for his life.
2. Ward 17, Vondozi, Mudzi North Constituency.
The team reports that marauding groups of ZANU PF militia, war vets and other people in army uniform have been responsible for the systematic destruction of approximately 98% of all homesteads in the area. The inhabitants, numbering about 300, are living in the school yard at Vongozi School, under armed guard. Apparently this is being kept out of public knowledge, the area having been sealed off to outsiders. Speculation is high on the treatment that these people are receiving.
MDC’s chronicle of the post election violence
17th April 2008 - MDC Pressroom
Hundreds of MDC supporters have received serious injuries after the party garnered more House of Assembly seats than Zanu PF in March 29 2008 elections. The MDC also won 50, 3 percent of the Presidential poll votes although the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission has been forced by Zanu PF not to release the result. Over 20 MDC supporters from Masvingo North constituency in Masvingo province, Mudzi and Mutoko districts in Mashonaland East were during the weekend of 12 and 13 April admitted at the Avenues Clinic in Harare after they received serious injuries following the attacks from Zanu PF supporters, youth militia who are being backed by uniformed soilders. Some of the villagers have since fled there homes after the homes were burnt and property looted by the Zanu PF militia. Below are some of the reports that have been recorded across the country.
29 March 2008
Lydia Nyamuriga was beaten up by Zanu PF supporters while celebrating the victory of MDC in the parliamentary elections in Epworth. Nyamuriga and two other friends was bashed with sticks and was dragged on a tarred road were she sustained injuries on her right arm and head.
30 March 2008
Zanu PF youths clad in MDC T-shirts were moving around in Mt Darwin in Mashonaland Central beating up MDC supporters. One of the perpetrators, identified as Henry Nhambure from Murewa, a youth militia graduate was paid $1,2 billion to beat up MDC supporters.
1 April 2008
Edmond Zimba was attacked by Zanu PF youths in Rugare in Harare while celebrating the victory of MDC in the parliamentary elections. Zimba was struck by an empty bottle on the face and sustained serious injuries.
Brian Zondo of Muko village in Mudzi North was attacked by a Zanu PF youth identified as Give Shumba on accusations that he had voted for the MDC. Shumba is said to have struck Zondo with a stone on the head after which he sustained a deep cut and had to seek medical attention. The case has since been reported to the police but Shumba is still at large.
2 April 2008
In Mabvuku-Tafara constituency in Harare, people who were suspected to be MDC supporters were beaten up in beer halls by a group of Zanu PF supporters. Loosing council candidate for ward 26 is alleged to have sent these youths to beat up anyone they suspected to have voted for the MDC. A report has been made to the police but no arrests have been made although the suspects have been identified.
In Mudzi North constituency, Mashonaland East, Ronny Chanzenza of Karumba village had his house destroyed by two Zanu PF youths identified as Martin Machokora and Dudzai Chirapa. Chanzenza managed to escape unhurt. A report has been made to the police but no action has been taken against the culprits.
Also in Mudzi North constituency, Zororai Manyonga had his house burnt to ashes by people allegedly sent by Kachipa who was Zanu PF house of assembly candidate.
4 April 2008
In Mutoko East constituency, Mashonaland East province, Zanu PF members were moving around the villages waving guns of different sizes and type telling people that the re-run was the last chance for them to vote for Zanu PF and if they don’t then they would use the guns against the villagers. They are also threatening to kidnap people they suspect to have voted for the MDC.
5 April 2008
In Mabvuku Douglas Chinyemba was attacked by a group of ZANU PF youths and he sustained serious facial injuries.
6 April 2008
Six activists who acted as polling agents for the MDC were evicted from York Farm by War Veterans. They are currently displaced and living in the forests adjacent to York farm
6 April 2008
The MDC councilor for Ward 2 Seke, Shephered Zhanje was attacked by ZANU PF youths and had his right arm broken. He sustained a permanent injury.
7 April 2008
ZANU PF is stepping up violence against known MDC supporters and ordinary residents in ward 20, accusing them of having voted for the MDC in the harmonized elections. The chairman for Magamba known as Muropa is alleged to be leading these attacks which started on Monday. ZANU PF is also alleged to be working hand and glove with members of the ZNA who are intimidating the police officers in the area from interfering. Various weapons ranging from knobkerries, catapults and machetes are being used to in perpetrate these attacks. An emergency situation is about to erupt with violent clashes having been recorded between ZANU PF and MDC supporters and at least 2 people have been critically injured
7 April 2008
ZANU PF activists in Uzumba burnt a hut belonging to Tendai Muzadzi an MDC activist. Tendai was accused of having facilitated the arrest of ZANU PF activists for tearing down MDC posters and threatening people 3 weeks ago. A report was made at Mtawatawa Police Station on Tuesday.
8 April 2008
Innocent Nyandoro, an election agent for the MDC was severely assaulted by suspected ZANU PF thugs who were assisted by the MP elect Richard Chirongwe. Mr. Chirongwe reported the matter to the Police leading to the brief arrest of the perpetrators who were later on released. Members of the opposition are being threatened on a daily basis with eviction.
8 April 2008
In Gutu South Constituency soldiers grouped people and addressed them while carrying their guns intimidating people that if they vote for Tsvangirai in the run off they will be shot. They also threatened people with eviction from their homes if they support MDC
MDC supporters were rounded up by armed soldiers in uniform at Kotwa and severely beaten up . Paul Mhanza one of the MDC supporters sustained serious internal injuries and was admitted at Kotwa . Filter Chikura also had his eardrum damaged during the assault.
9 April 2008
In Mazowe West, an MDC activist of Sable Peak farm which was , which was invaded by the ZANU PF MP Chironga, was attacked by the later and his youths and sustained grievous bodily injuries. At the time of this report, he is battling with his life in Concession Hospital
9 April 2008
A candidate who represented the MDC in the Mutoko North Council Elections was abducted by unknown assailants driving a white Nissan Hard body vehicle. He was taken to Mtoko growth point where he was assaulted by thugs aligned to ZANU PF. He sustained critical injuries and was left for dead. He was assisted by onlookers who had witnessed the whole incident.
9 April 2008
An MDC supporter was brutally assaulted by ZANU PF supporters led by the MP elect Chironga. He is battling for his life at Concession General Hospital.
9 April 2008
Information reaching this office suggests that a base at KG6 is being created to beef up security ahead of an expected terror campaign scheduled to begin over the weekend. Members of the ZNA are arriving at KG6 in droves.
9 April 2008
ZANU PF activists aligned to Hubert Nyanhomgo have started invading land belonging to residents of Harare South. The invasions involve uprooting maize fields and cutting down trees indiscriminately. Nyanhongo is alleged to have promised these ZANU PF activists land in the run-up to the Harmonised elections.
9 April 2008
Lazarus Matonhodze was re-arrested for singing anti-ZANU PF songs at the behest of Hubert Nyanhongo. He had earlier on been released in court for lack of evidence.
9 April 2008
10 ZANU PF activists are alleged to have come at the MDC Marondera ward 7 councilor’s house and started singing politically provocative songs and erected a ZANU PF flag at his house. The mob was led by a Matambudziko Midzi who is the Youth Chairperson for ward 7. The group then proceeded to the Ward 5 councilor’s house were they threatened to inflict more harm on him after they had previously broken his leg in 2006.Amminion Dzinoreva was struck on the head and back by a metal bar and sustained serious injuries. A report was made at Dombotombo police post but nothing was done. In fact, ZANU PF thugs came and threatened police officers
Roy Mari who was a polling agent at Damvuri during the elections was assaulted by Zanu PF activists and a war vet only identified as Huni of Homestead.
10 April 2008
Denias Dombo was brutally assaulted by ZANU PF youths who are moving around in new c white trucks in Kotwa. He sustained life threatening injuries as he had all his limbs broken after the encounter with an angry ZANU PF mob. He also had his house burnt down to ashes. The situation in Kotwa has gone out of hand as an estimated 36 people are said to have been displaced by the violence and intimidation so far. These people are staying at Kotwa Police station since their homes have either been burnt or their homes are now unsafe. Some of the victimized people are:
Paul Mlanza, Neza village – was assaulted by soldiers and a report was made at Kotwa police station.
Alex Kumbukani – also assaulted by soldiers
Robert Dombo- Had his house burnt on 9/04/2008
Langton Chidzidzi- had his ribs broken
Fungisai Chikuna
Lovemore Chirapu
Luisa Chakumanika a female aged 70
Pamhidzai Tsuro
Elizabeth Tashupika
Taoreswa Kambizi
Kutasa William aged 56
Viola Kamunaukamwe
Fungisai Sam
David Chaora- had his house burnt.
Another group of MDC youths was displaced from their villages in Chief Mukoti’s Chieftainship by ZANU PF youths in white vehicles brandishing machetes. The victimized youths are: Noah Langton, Wilson Chikore, Biggie Mapambadze, John Sabau, Fungai Tembo, Organise Tsoro, Leonard Chikore and Vengai Kiri
10 April 2008
In Shamva South Constituency, ZANU PF sponsored thugs (500 million each) to kill the MDC council candidate for ward 19, Happiness Maruva. She escaped after a tip of and went into hiding. The thugs further threatened to bomb her house which was used as the constituency command centre.
10 April 10, 2008
10 huts belonging to MDC supporters were burnt by ZANU PF activists in Muzarabani South. Chief Kasekete and Chief Chiweshe are the main perpetrators. The victims are Lameck Bande, Patrick Machaya, Chris Maritinyi, Austin Kamvukuta, Anderson Cobster, Jesca Madhava, Chivaura, Tendai Saizi and Masindisa Kiswell
Meanwhile, the District Chairman is on the run.
10 April 2008
Rtd Major Midza held private meetings at Bandawe in Muzvezve were he was addressing war veterans and Zanu Pf supporters to prepare for war. He is alleged to have advised the youths to beat up MDC supporters and evict them from the resettled areas. Also present at the meeting was Rtd Major Chivero,Mrs Nduku (wife of former Kadoma CIO head) and a retired meat inspector Chinyumbwi.
Col CT Gurira also addressed Kadoma prison officers misinforming them that MDC will dismiss them from work as soon as it gets into power and also threatened some e of them for voting for the MDC.
11 April 2008
A group of 15 ZANU PF thugs moving in a white truck are reported to be on the rampage in Mutoko North constituency and have 3 MDC activists have been seriously injured after being attacked. The three – Cephas Nyamande, Batsirai Kapikinyu, of Nyamudo village and Rosemary Nyateka of Kapikunyu 1 village are in critical condition. Rosemary Nyateka was attacked at her home after a ZANU PF district meeting held at Kanyongo Township that singled her for having voted for Morgan Tsvangirai and for being an MDC supporter. She sustained wounds on her buttocks after being assaulted with logs. Batsirai Kapikunyu sustained a broken leg after being attacked with clenched fists, booted feet and logs. Cephas Nyaningwe had both his legs broken.
12 April 2008
In Mutoko South Zanu PF thugs burnt down Davias Matiza’s house. Matiza managed to escape and boarded a bus. The thugs followed him and surrounded the bus and demanded him out of the bus. He however managed to flee from the scene again and is still on the run as they are still after his life.
Houses belonging to two MDC supporters, Paul Nyikayaramba and Kabasa, were also burnt by Zanu PF militia in the same area
Patience Mapuranga and Mahwisai Chizanga, MDC polling agents were beaten up by Zanu PF thugs accusing them of supporting MDC. The two suffered serious injuries all over their bodies. The case was reported to the police and the police officer handling the issue was also assaulted and accused of supporting the MDC.
More than 15 Zanu PF thugs in Mutoko South attacked Naira Savanhu and her children in the middle of the night. Savanhu was accused of having voted for MDC and giving victory to the MDC in the elections.
12 April 2008
In Mudzi West , Paradzai Chimutsa of Kagonda village had his two shops looted from by a group of more than sixty Zanu PF thugs .More than half of the groceries in his small shop were looted by Zanu PF militia .Mr Chimutsa was away when ZanuPF militia pounced on his family and accused the family of supporting MDC. The family lost billions worth of groceries to Zanu PF militia.
12 April 2008.
At least 20 MDC supporters, Privelege Shuva (15) of Chivaka village, Mudzi East Ostina Chikwanha (38) from the same area, Tonderai Souza (20), Edmond Souza (49) Everisto Maguma (19) Sakina Maguma (47), Tracy Souza (37) Mark Mavhura (22) and Stanley Simba are some of the MDC that are detained in hospital following attacks from Zanu PF militia from Tuesday.
12 April 2008
Zanu PF’s terror on defenceless people has now reached alarming levels following the death of MDC supporter Tapiwa Mubwanda of Hurungwe West in Mashonaland West province. Tapiwa Mubwanda, 53, was on the night of Saturday, 12 April 2008, attacked by Zanu PF supporters at his homestead in Mhereyenyoka village under Chief Kazangarare. Mubwanda was the polling agent for Hon. Chambati during the 29 March elections.During the attack Mubwanda was stabbed with a knife and he died on the spot. His elder brother Linos Mubwanda who heard the commotion went out to investigate and was also brutally assaulted by the group.
12 April 2008
In another act of serious disregard of the law, a member of the Central Intelligence Office identified as Amos Jaravaza shot Takawira Hove on both legs also on Saturday.
There were also attempts after the shooting of Hove by CIO operatives and Zanu PF supporters to poison him at Gokwe hospital.
The MDC has since taken Hove to a more secure and safe hospital.
15 April 2008
In Muzvezve in Mashonaland West province,four families have been forced to flee their homes after Zanu PF members led by a Rt Major Midza threatened to attack them and burn their homes. Four of them, Clever Machingauta, Gift Machingauta, Miriam Machingauta and Munyaradzi Muchenjeri were polling agents for the MDC during the 29 March elections.
16 April 2008
In Murehwa North Zanu PF supporters backed by the army have burnt close to 10 homesteads at Dandara Village while four MDC youths had to be ferried by an ambulance to a hospital in Harare after they were knocked down by a Zanu PF pick-up truck at Murehwa growth point. One of the youths sustained deep cuts on the head and is in a critical condition.
16 April 2008
In Gokwe Chireya, Midlands province Zanu PF is forcing people to attend meetings everyday and those who are perceived to be MDC supporters are being threatened with death. The villagers have also been given orders not to listen to Studio 7. A training base has also been set up in the constituency in what sources say would be used to as torture camp in the event of a presidential run-off.
16 April 2008
Didymus Mutasa, a Zanu PF politburo member has recruited over 300 youths for militia training at Vengere Stadium in Rusape. The youths have since last week been moving around intimidating people in Rusape town for having voted for the MDC in March.
17 April 2008
At least 100 MDC activists including three senior MDC officials Fortune Gwaze, Luke Tamborinyoka and Kudakwashe Matimbiri have been arrested in Harare. The three officials are being charged with organizing the MDC stay-away in demand for the release of the Presidential poll result.
http://www.mdc.co.zw/newsbody.asp?newsid=65
Mugabe orders arms from China
to oppress Zimbabweans.
Family had house burnt by Mugabe's thugs.
The reason was the family voted for
the opposition in the last elections.
Mugabe in 2009 and back home in Zvimba??/ Time for Mugabe to call it quits. See results below
Presidential VOTES PERCENTAGE MDC Tsvangirai 1167545 50.3 Winner ZANUPF Mugabe 1044664 43.8 Makoni 175122 7 2387331 Assembly SEATS PERCENT MDC Tsvangirai 99 48 Winner ZANUPF Mugabe 96 46 Makoni 12 6 TOTAL 207 100
GZF Demo in Washington,DC
Mugabe's harassment of opposition escalates
Formation of the Global Zimbabwe Forum – USA
February 27, 2008
Following its successful and widely publicized demonstration outside the Zimbabwe embassy last week Global Zimbabwe Forum Working Group was formed on February 27, 2008.
The purpose of the working group is to spearhead a campaign to bring awareness of the plight of the Zimbabweans to grassroots America.
In the next two weeks GZF-USA Working Group members will take an inventory of organizations in their communities that we might approach to discuss the situation in Zimbabwe.
This grassroots initiative is one of the plans proposed at the Strategy Session on Zimbabwe and organized by Africa Action and Trans Africa in Washington, DC, recently.
It is hoped GZF-USA will work collaboratively with Africa Action.
Addressing the strategy session on February 16 GZF representative for USA Dr. Stanford Mukasa mapped out two key areas of concern on the situation in Zimbabwe, namely, crisis of governance and the humanitarian situation in the country.
Dr. Mukasa said a non partisan action was needed to (a) bring pressure to bear on the Mugabe regime to allow Zimbabweans their basic human and democratic rights and (b) to send badly needed humanitarian relief to the embattled Zimbabweans.
Zimbabwe Diaspora stage a successful protest at the Zimbabwe embassy in Washington DC.
1. The Protest. A group of Zimbabweans staged a protest outside the Zimbabwe embassy in Washington D.C. on Friday, February 21.
Speakers condemned Mugabe's denial of the right of Zimbabweans in Diaspora to vote in the March 29 elections.
The petition. After consultations with the police, embassy officials allowed only one protester to go into the embassy to present a petition.
Global Zimbabwe Forum
A worldwide non partisan coalition of Zimbabweans in Diaspora and friends in the struggle for the restoration of the rule of law, democracy, freedom of the press and free and fair elections in Zimbabwe.
February 22, 2008:
To :
President Robert Mugabe :
c/o Ambassador Machivenyika Mapuranga.
Zimbabwe Embassy
Washington DC
We have noted with great concern the rapidly deteriorating socioeconomic conditions in Zimbabwe, and caused primarily by the crisis of governance in your regime, especially since 2000.
Everything that could possibly go wrong has gone wrong in Zimbabwe.
You have consistently blamed the country’s problems on what you call sanctions from, among others, Britain and America. But evidence and the experience of the Zimbabweans point an unequivocal finger at your style of bad governance as the root cause of the rampant state of dilapidation.
About 4 million Zimbabweans, or one quarter of the country’s population, have fled the country. But the Zimbabweans in Diaspora did not forfeit their right to vote.
GLOBAL ZIMBABWE forum is calling upon you, your party and your government to take immediate and effective measures to:
- ALLOW Zimbabweans in Diaspora to vote;
- RESPECT and IMPLEMENT the SADC protocol for conducting elections;
- IMPLEMENT before elections the agreements so far reached with the opposition Movement for Democratic Change;
- POSTPONE elections to at least June to allow for the leveling of the playing field for elections;
- ALLOW members of the opposition movement and civil society to hold their rallies and protests without harassment and assaults from the police and army.
- ALLOW international observers under the auspices of the United Nations to come to monitor the elections.
The Vote. Right in front of the embassy, the protesters organized their own vote. Each protester was given a ballot and checked the candidate of his or her choice.
The Ballot
Republic of Zimbabwe
Presidential election – March 29, 2008
Polling Station: Zimbabwe Embassy, Washington DC
Voting Instructions: Proof of citizenship of Zimbabwe. Put X for ONLY ONE candidate in space provided next to the name.
Simba Makoni
Independent
Robert Mugabe
ZANUPF
Morgan Tsvangirai
MDC - Tsvangirai
