Villagers were forced to contribute money to independence

The Zimbabwe Peace Project has reported that in April people in Manicaland were being forced by the ruling Zanu PF members to contribute some money towards independence celebrations.

ZPP said the period was characterised by harassment, theft and coerced monetary contributions as people were forced to contribute monies towards the Independence Day celebrations.

"In some instances villagers who failed to pay were labelled sell outs while in others traditional leaders threatened them with denial of food assistance in the event that they fail to pay," reported ZPP.

"On 16 April 2016, Chief Chipfatsura (Solomon Chipfatsura) of Ward 4 Mutare North issued out orders through his aide, Danmore Matopi, that all villagers had to contribute $1-00 each towards the Independence Day celebrations. The order affected even the economically weak who could not afford the money in this environment of liquidity and cash shortages. It is important to note that traditional leaders are engaging themselves in state and political party issues a thing outside their mandate."

ZPP rerported that in Chimanimani West Ward 17, councillor Lovemore Utseya of Zanu-PF, forced villagers to pay $1-00 per household towards the Independence Day celebrations. It said the actor claimed that those that failed to pay would not access food aid in the ward. The order affected even the elderly including 80-year-old Mbuya Zunde (not real name) of Village 17.

"On 12 April 2016, in Mutare North, Chief Chipfatsura Ward 4 forced people in the ward to attend a ward meeting where he threatened those who refuse to pay US$1-00 towards the Independence Day celebrations that they risk accessing food aid if they failed to adhere to the instruction. The threat affected the unemployed, who included Joshua Sanangurayi and Phineas Manduku (not real names)," said ZPP.

ZPP said when a parliamentary committee held some public hearings in the province to solicit people's views on the National Peace and Reconciliation Commission (NPRC) Bill, some of the meetings were disrupted by war veterans who felt that the commission was being disrespectful of the state and the province after the province had lost two distinguished war gurus in the likes of Victoria Chitepo and Vivian Mwashita.

"The war veterans' queried the holding of the consultative meeting in Mutare on the day when two of its daughters were being laid to rest at the National Heroes Acre," reported ZPP.

ZPP also reported that the MDC-T organised a well attended International Women's Day celebration at Watsomba Business Centre Mutasa Central on 2 April 2016.

"Thokozani Khupe- the MDC-T Vice President. Zanu-PF did not attend the event. Mutasa Central is represented by Trevor Saruwaka who is an MDC-T Member of Parliament," said ZPP.