In one of the most blatant examples of political skulduggery by the Zimbabwe government a truck carrying opposition campaign materials worth millions of dollars was commandeered by police at a roadblock.
The truck was headed to the Eastern part of the country from the capital carrying t-shirts, bandanas and posters, fuel and cash for use in the final leg of the campaign for the 31 March general election, reports Zimonline – an online newspaper run by exiled Zimbabwean journalists.
The materials belonged to the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) candidate for Chimanimani, Heather Bennett, whose husband, a farmer, was barred from contesting.
The MDC initially boycotted the elections hoping that the international community would put pressure on Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe to stop intimidating the opposition whose members and candidates have been beaten, arrested and locked up for no apparent reasons.
In most cases the perpetrators, though known, have never been prosecuted.
The truck was stopped by police less than halfway into its journey at Mariner, about 50 from Harare on a main road, and it was impounded.
Reports indicate the truck was driven to a rural police outpost about 30 miles from Harare, well away from its original route.
Police impounded the truck and confiscated all the election paraphernalia as well as 1000 litres of fuel and Z$10 million (about £850) in cash which was to have been used in the Chimanimani campaign.
Zimbabwe has been accused of not playing by the rules in the election which is being monitored by a select group of monitors approved and invited by Mugabe.
The MDC claims that it was pressured into participating in the election, because failing to do so would give Zanu (PF) a free-reign for another five years, without any opposition voice in Parliament. It has fielded candidates in all 100-odd constituencies.
MDC candidate tortured, detained
Sat 5 March 2005
HARARE – An opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) party candidate in the upcoming election and another party official were on Thursday tortured by ruling ZANU PF party militants and later detained by the police when they attempted to press charges against their torturers.
Prince Chibanda, who is standing for the MDC in Zvimba North constituency and the opposition partyís information officer for the area, Paidamoyo Muzulu, were by late yesterday afternoon still detained at Chinhoyi police station, 120 km north-west of Harare.
In a statement yesterday, the MDC said Chibanda was campaigning at Basset farm in Rafingora district in the constituency when a group of ZANU PF militants led by a self-styled liberation war veteran identified only as, Kangachepi, abducted him and his team.
No free and fair election in Zimbabwe
"Chibanda and his team were assaulted and taken to some torture camp on the farm. Eight of his team members managed to escape and reported the matter to the police while Chibanda and Paidamoyo remained under siege," the opposition party said.
Following the report, the police went to Basset farm and picked up the ZANU PF militants and their MDC victims. But when Chibanda and Muzula attempted to press charges against their torturers at the police station, they were told that they instead were going to be detained while their assailants were to go free.
"The two MDC officials were taken to Chinhoyi police station together with the ZANU PF activists but were surprised when they (MDC officials) were told that they would have to spend the night in the cells because the officers who were supposed to attend to their case had gone home for the day," the MDC said.
Police spokesman Wayne Bvudzijena could not be reached for comment on the matter yesterday.
Violence against and victimisation of MDC candidates and supporters by ZANU PF militants and state security forces have steadily increased in the past two weeks as the crucial election on March 31 draws nearer.
Two MDC candidates were arrested last week and several of the opposition partyís activists harassed for putting up campaign posters.
The opposition party began campaigning in earnest two weeks ago after rescinding a decision last year to boycott the parliamentary poll unless political violence was ended and the political playing field was levelled.
President Robert Mugabe and police commissioner, Augustine Chihuri, have vowed not to tolerate political violence in order to ensure a peaceful, free and fair election.
MDC spokesman Paul Themba Nyathi yesterday said: "One wonders whether anyone can call this a free and fair election when complainants are arrested for reporting to the police." - ZimOnline
2nd March 2005
THE ACTIONS OF THE POLICE UNDERMINE THE LEGITIMACY OF THE ELECTION PROCESS
In recent articles carried by the state controlled Herald newspaper, police chief spokesperson, Assistant Commissioner Wayne Bvudzijena, accused the MDC of making false allegations with regards to an attack by soldiers on three MDC candidates and of the abduction of an MDC candidate by Zanu PF supporters in front of police officers.
For the record, the MDC stands by both allegations and is deeply
disturbed by the refusal of the police to properly investigate the incidents in question.
The comments attributed to Assistant Commissioner Bvudzijena cast further doubt on the willingness of the police to act in a professional and impartial manner.
The actions of the police thus far in the election campaign have served to further erode public confidence in the electoral process and further undermine its legitimacy.
Although there have been one or two incidents whereby police officers have acted without bias and arrested Zanu PF supporters for committing acts of violence, on the whole the police continue to behave in an overtly partisan manner.
Most incidents of violence perpetrated against MDC supporters go
unpunished and the police continue to deliberately misinterpret existing statutes to proscribe MDC campaign activities. To date there is no record of Zanu PF activists being arrested for putting up posters or of Zanu PF meetings been disrupted or banned from taking place.
MDC candidates and activists appear to be the target of increasing
police harassment as polling day approaches. This may be denied by police chiefs through the medium of the state controlled press, however, their denials appear somewhat spurious when compared to the facts on the ground.
8 February: Members of the army brutally attacked 15 MDC supporters as they departed a rally in Nyanga.
8 February: 13 MDC supporters in Gwanda were arrested and fined Z$25,000 each by police for waving their open palms at Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister, Abednico Ncube.
8 February: Godrich Chimbaira, the MDC candidate for Zengeza, was arrested for holding a meeting at his house with members of the local structures.
11 February: the MDC candidate for Hurungwe West, Godfrey Gumbo, was abducted by a group of Zanu PF supporters and taken to their HQ in Harare where he was severely assaulted. Mr Gumbo was abducted along with Stanley Razaro (the District Chairperson for Hurungwe) and Masavhaya Dipuka (the Organising Secretary). ALL THIS HAPPENED IN THE PRESENCE OF THE POLICE.
12 February: police arrested 40 women in Bulawayo following a march organised by Women of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA) 'to spread the message of love'.
15 February: 7 MDC supporters were arrested by police in Bulawayo for distributing MDC campaign material. All campaign material was confiscated.
16 February: Police in Harare raided a training session of the MDC's 120 candidates. Police claimed the meeting was illegal under POSA. Ian Makone, the MDC's Director of Elections, was arrested.
21 February: MDC activist Tendai Matsine and his wife were severely beaten up by Zanu PF youth in Huruingwe East. They were attacked after being caught putting up MDC posters. The incident was reported to the police but police informed the MDC officials that they had been given instructions by their superiors NOT TO ARREST Zanu PF activists engaged in acts of violence.
22 February: MDC candidate for Shamva, Godfrey Chimombe, was arrested along with five MDC activists while putting up posters.
23 February: MDC candidate for Bindura, Joel Mugariri and Mashonaland Central Provincial Chairperson, Tapera Macheka, were arrested by police for putting up posters.
23 February: Hilda Mafudze, MDC candidate for Manyame, reported that 11 MDC youths were assaulted by Zanu PF supporters while distributing campaign literature. The incident was reported to Norton police station but the police refused to arrest the Zanu PF youth.
It is incumbent upon the new Electoral Commission to engage the police and instruct them to act without fear or favour. A failure to take tangible steps in this direction will raise further questions marks about the 'independence' of the new Commission. It has a fundamental duty to ensure that citizens are able to freely participate in the electoral process.
At present this basic democratic right, enshrined in the SADC Protocol on elections, is being undermined by a police force seemingly determined to frustrate the people's desire for a new beginning and a new Zimbabwe by further distorting the electoral playing field to the political advantage of the ruling party.
What the police must realise is that their partisan actions are
self-defeating. People want jobs and food security and know that these basic aspirations will remain unobtainable as long as the present status quo remains in place.
--Makusha Mugabe works with Diaspora Vote Action Group, Movement for Democratic Change in Zimbabwe. Paul Themba Nyathi is MDC Secretary for Information and Publicity.
