Zimbabwe Information Center in North America
A project of the North American Coalition for a Free Zimbabwe (NACFREEZ)
MDC
By Stanford G. Mukasa
Letter from America
May 19, 2008
One of the most disturbing pictures coming out of Zimbabwe show victims of torture by Mugabe’s thugs. Supporters of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) have been targeted by Mugabe’s thugs for voting for MDC in the last elections.
MDC says over 30 of its supporters have been killed – many of them died a very cruel death where they were beaten with wooden poles until they died.
Others had their limbs broken. A woman had large chunks of flesh carved out from her buttocks. The excruciating pain from this torture must have been harrowing.
Twenty five years ago in 1983 a similarly vicious campaign was waged by Mugabe’s Fifth Brigade in Matabeleland . The objective of the onslaught on the Matabeleland was to force people to support ZANUPF. The stated purpose by Mugabe’s regime was to flush out so-called dissidents. Only a handful of dissidents were ever captured. In contrast, over 20,000 people lost their lives .
The pattern of the killings was very similar to what is happening today. People were shot at point blank range. Others were tortured to death. Stories were told of victims who were forced to stand on burning coals until their feet were reduced to charcoals. Their sky piercing cries of agony went unheard by the rest of the world whose relationship with Mugabe was too cozy to ever criticize him. Pregnant women were simply bayoneted because they were accused of going to giving birth to dissidents.
A demented Parents Shiri who headed the infamous fifth brigade openly boasted that he had been personally given the entire Matabeleland to do as he wished. He claimed he was answerable only to then Prime Minister Robert Mugabe. Like the legendary Jesse Jackson Shiri could kill anyone for any reason and could not be held accountable by anyone except Mugabe.
The bottom line is ZANUPF is a party of viole4nce. It remains to be seen whether Mugabe will peacefully cede power when he loses the run-off.