Violence, farm invasions erupt in Zimbabwe

By Wilson Watson

HARARAE, Zimbabwe- Incidences of violence have resurfaced in most parts of Zimbabwe with cases of beatings and fresh farm invasions mainly the ZANUPF war veterans and militias reported after the elections.
Officials from both the opposition and farmers have confirmed that incidences of violence against their members have emerged since the end of the 29 March elections.

The officials said the violence erupted after ZANU PF discovered that it has lost the parliamentary elections and was also poised to loose the presidential elections to opposition MDC.
Some said the violence was to intimidate the opposition supporters before a date is set for the re-run of the presidential elections.
ZAU p has hinted that there will be a re-run of the presidential elections although no official results are yet to be released more then two weeks after the elections.

“Militias are being rearmed, Zanu-PF supporters are being rearmed,” said Movement for Democratic Change Secretary General Tendai Biti.
Biti alleged that there has “complete militarisation of Zimbabwean society since the 29th of March 2008.”
He noted that at least 80 Zimbabwean opposition activists have been assaulted by pro-government militants in different parts of the country.
Some of the assaults have been reported in Manicaland, Midlands and Matabeleland.

In Midlands reports said soldiers beat up revelers who were at a nightclub for “voting wrongly”
The alleged assaults have opened old wounds of the 1980s Gukurahundi atrocities in which more than 20 000 people were killed by Mugabe ‘s army.
Villagers in Matabeleland, where the Gukurahundi was carried out have pointed out they feared President Mugabe was set to order beatings of people from the region.
The Commercial Farmers Union has also reported fresh farm invasions across the country by war veterans.

The war veterans were also at the forefront of invasions that were held in 1999, soon after the country voted NO to a constitutional referendum that was crafted by the Government.
CFU President Trevor Gifford said more than 60 farmers have fled their homes, after being removed by the war veterans.
“The situation is very severe. The evictions are continuing right round the country,” he said.

Unlike in the past where the war veterans were targeting whiled farmers, two black farmers linked to the MDC have also been evicted this time.
Some of the farmers were given 10 hours notice to vacate their areas
“His (black farmer) workers’ houses have all been burnt and he’s been accused of voting for the opposition MDC,” said Gifford.
The farm invasion came at a time when President Mugabe has called on the people to protect their lands
“Land must remain in our hands. The land is ours, it must not be allowed to slip back into the hands of whites,” he told the state-owned Herald newspaper on Monday.