2018 Election: Sanyati residents live in fear of State sponsored Political Violence

As the nation braces for the 2018 polls, Sanyati residents in the Midlands province said they are living in constant fear of state sponsored politically motivated violence. They fear being victimised for supporting the opposition in what is reminiscent of the 2008 reign of terror where hundreds of opposition supporters were murdered. The ugly beast is again in season as Zanu-PF has allegedly already unleashed its weapon of choice, as evidenced by the setting up of terror bases by the Zanu-PF militias who are already toyi-toying wielding dangerous weapons in the area.

Visibly panicking villagers gave horrifying tales of how they are already being cowed into submission by the Zanu-PF terror squads and added that these threats evoke the 2008 memories. One after the other, they narrated the trauma they have gone through since the 2002 election and the succeeding elections. One villager who chose to remain anonymous for fear of further victimisation had this to say, "Tiri kugara tichityisidzirwa kunzi tichakuitayi zvatakaita 2008." She further went on to narrate her 2008 ordeal of how she lost all her property to Zanu-PF arsonists in 2008. "Ndakapisirwa musha ndaenda kugraduation yemwana kuGweru ndikazoita zvekufonerwa nacouncillor kuti musha wakapiswa." Apparently the councillor was Zanu-PF.

She further went on to bemoan the partisan food distribution saying "We are being denied inputs because of our known affiliation to MDC-T. I am a political activist for the opposition and my name has been removed from the food distribution list. Without an iota of shame, our village head openly told us to go and get inputs from 'Tsvangirai baba venyu' inferring that the current distribution was from their political father President Mugabe.Tinoda kuti zvinhu zvakaita sechikafu, mbeu nefertiliser zvinobva kuhurumende zvisvike zvisina mutupo kana zita reparty." She said as women, they are always the victims and are also the most affected by political violence or other human rights violations. "As women we bear the brunt of these violations, because of joblessness and the economic meltdown we face and endure the wrath of these violations." She lamented.

Another victim of this Zanu-PF tyranny from ARDA ward 18 intimated that the neighbourhood watch committee members (vana ndinindamubata) and youth officers drawn from the famed Boarder Gezi national youth service recently underwent training by the "maguta" soldiers to weed out the opposition in the area in preparation for the forthcoming 2018 election. He further went on to say that "We don't know the duties and responsibility of these youth officers in our community save that they terrorise us. We are living in fear because 'takamborohwa, kupisirwa misha uye vamwe vakauraiwa asi takashaya protection zvikangorova zvakadero saka tave kutya kuti tinodzokororwa futi." She referred to Samson Abedinico Matore who was brutally murdered in 2002 at Neuso Growthpoint in Sanyati. He pointed out that well known notorious Zanu-PF assailants "Tsanga, Chucknorris, Pembedza, Zebra Kubvoruno and Dyodyo" in 2008 terrorised villagers but up to this day they are still moving scot free. They are back to their wanton ways of intimidating villagers because they are the law unto themselves. Our pleas are not being heard because the law enforcement agents in Zimbabwe have chosen to act unconstitutionally and side with Zanu-PF hooligans and this has allowed Zanu-PF activists to operate above the law and commit a series of atrocities.

Several other victims interviewed bemoaned the invisibility of international observers on the ground in remote areas such as Sanyati during election time. One victim had this to say "Tinoda maInternational observers vauye vaone zvinoitika kuno kumaruwa vagonosvitsawo mberi zvavanenge vaona." He said the 'sabhuku nevanhu vake' tactic was being used to criminally frog-march subjects to Zanu-PF meetings, and ultimately to the polls so as to absolutely make sure that they vote for Zanu-PF. He said it is a deliberate tactic by the Zanu-PF government to ignore the poor state of rural roads in remote parts of the country so that international observers would not access these places where the party perceives to garner much of its grassroots support and coerces voters to vote against their will.

One war veteran and village head, bemoaned the disbanding of JOMIC and gave a nostalgic tale of how he used to support Zanu-PF since the war of liberation but has now since jumped ship to join the opposition MDC-T because the regime has long since abandoned the ideals of the war of liberation that brought independence. He intimated that he held several Zanu-PF party posts and had worked as a civil servant for forty (40) years but said 'ndakatorerwa plot ndichinzi uri munhu weMDC, uri mutengesi.' We operate under very strict orders and we are forced to commandeer people to Zanu-PF meetings but as a headman I feel and I know it is wrong.

These threats alone really show that "leopards do not change their spots." This leaves the electorate with a lot of questions and extremely worried because Zanu-pf is sending a clear message that they do not want the 2018 election to be free and fair. Zanu-PF uses security forces, traditional leaders and party youths to violate civic human rights. Violence has been woven through the intricate fabric of Zimbabwe's political history. Cases of political violence in Zimbabwe have largely been as a result of the resolve by the regime to ensure President Robert Mugabe stays in office at all costs. History is clear how President Robert Mugabe has thrived on unleashing war and terror on his opponents and innocent unarmed civilians as evidenced by the Gukurahundi atrocities that massacred 20 000 lives and the 2008 political violence that resulted in the deaths of 200 opposition activists. It is indeed a shame that Zimbabwe for long has suffered from state sponsored violence at its sadistic height towards every election and as 2018 approaches. The ugly beast is again already in season.

Alfred Towo is a Zimbabwean freelance Journalist, an independent analyst, and opinion writer. Feedback on aliphytowo@gmail.com or on twitter @TowoAlfred