|
afrol News, 31 March - At least nine people have died in election related violence throughout Zimbabwe since this month's presidential election. The opposition claims the government is "on a retribution campaign" against its perceived supporters, including teachers and polling agents. On 13 March, Gwaze Tafirenyika died as a result of the injuries sustained when he had been beaten up at his home in Mutoko. Tafirenyika was a polling agent for the Zimbabwean opposition party, Movement for Democratic Chang (MDC), and the perpetrators allegedly were militant youths of the governing party, ZANU-PF. Romio Edwin, another MDC polling agent, was beaten up by ZANU-PF youths and killed at his home on 22 March. Donnie Jeranyama, an MDC polling agent who was assaulted by soldiers on the eve of the March 9 and 10 presidential elections, died at his home the morning of 27 March. Jeranyama was among the MDC polling agents who were intercepted and battered by members of the army while on their way to monitor the elections at their respective polling stations. He sustained severe injuries, resulting in continuous bleeding through the ear, which subsequently led to his death, according to the MDC. Following reports from the opposition party, ZANU-PF indeed is continuing its "retribution campaign" against MDC followers, in particular its polling agents. In a release, the party claims that "the homes of at least six polling agents who participated in the elections on behalf of the MDC during the recent presidential elections have been burnt in Gokwe West as ZANU-PF militia embark on a massive retribution exercise against perceived MDC supporters." The MDC claims that the perpetrators of this violence in Gokwe "are well known ZANU-PF activists, some of whom have been identified." Most people who participated in the March 9 and 10 presidential elections as MDC polling agents were now living in fear following threats on their lives by ZANU-PF militia and so-called "war veterans". Many of them have left their homes in fear. Members of the ZANU-PF militia and "war veterans" have reportedly vowed to continue persecuting members of the MDC until the party accepts the results of the presidential election results. Not only polling agents but also several teachers in Gokwe province have also fled after similar threats by war veterans for supposedly supporting the MDC. Two teachers also had to flee from Mberengwa. Teachers seem to become the newest group victimised by followers of the government party. According to the independent Harare-based newspaper 'Daily News', the ZANU-PF campaign is indeed taking on great scale. "At least 1,000 people have been displaced in Zaka and Gutu districts alone because of post-election violence in Masvingo province three weeks after the presidential election," the newspaper documents. Teachers and polling agents were the principal victims of the "witch-hunt". MDC spokesman Learnmore Jongwe is surprised by the ongoing campaigns against his party. He says the MDC failed to understand how President Mugabe, claiming to be "a leader who is genuinely concerned about the welfare of the nation, can commit much needed resources to a retribution exercise when all those funds could be spent on rebuilding the country's tattered economy and conducting programmes that benefit the nation as a whole."
|
