Chiwundura constituency marred with pre-election violence

Chiwundura constituency is reported to be characterized by politically motivated violence largely targeted at opposition supporters. In 2004 and 2005, Albert Chidhakwa the current Zanu PF District Chairman for ward 10 intimidated and tortured MDC polling agents in the then Gweru Rural constituency.

A national assembly by-election is set to be conducted in Chiwundura Constituency, Midlands Province on the 15th of July 2017.

"Ngonidzashe Sokisi (now late) who was an MDC District Youth Chairman was assaulted and tortured by Albert Chidhakwa. He was later rescued by other MDC youths. On 21 April 2005, a headman, Shadreck Sikombingo was abducted by a group of 27 suspected war veterans and ZANU PF youth. The abduction came after he was suspected of supporting Gasela," reads a report sent to this reporter.

"According to the headman's family members, Sikombingo had been warned by Zanu PF officials the week before the abduction that he would be "dealt with"3.In 2006, John Jangarasi, the then Zanu PF ward chairman, deployed youths to assault and torture Norman Chinosiya and Edwin Chitando for supporting the MDC party at Gambizapreschool. Jangarasi assaulted the duo on the pretext of disciplining them for supporting an opposition party. Jangano was later expelled from Zanu PF and later joined the Zimbabwe People First."

The report states towards the run up to the 2008 elections, Zanu PF leadership that include the then Political Commissar, Elliot Manyika and Kizito Chivamba (both late) led terror youth groups, terrorising opposition supporters.

"Eliot Manyika in the company of Zanu PF youths (Border Gezi graduates), harassed and assaulted opposition supporters in ward 14 and ward 10. Manyika was also known for deploying Border Gezi graduates to unleash violence on opposition supporters across the country. Manyika later died in a car accident in December that year," reports the report.

"In 2008, Chidhakwa established and led a youth base (youths from Border Gezi) which was used to intimidate and torture opposition supporters at Muchakata Business centre at the council offices. The base was manned by Border Gezi graduates who were deployed to intimidate, harass and torture all known opposition supporters and community members. Albert Chidhakwa is also known for commanding village heads to force-march community members to vote for Zanu PF in the 2008 elections. The most recent human rights violations involving Chidhakwa include partisan distribution of food aid from the Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare which he distributed to Zanu PF supporters
only in March 2017."

The report states that in 2013, village head Gideon Muputa who was the then Zanu PF District Chairman deployed war veterans in the resettlement areas in ward 14 to intimidate known opposition supporters.

"The war veterans were led by their leader only identified as Hundivenga in village 2. Cases of intra party violence were also recorded in the constituency. In 2013, MDC T aspiring candidate Livingstone Chiminya violently disrupted a meeting organised by Timothy Mkhahlera at city night spot bar which is owned by the Mkhahlera family. Timothy Mkhahlera, who was the first MDC-T MP for Gweru urban, was vying for the Chiwundura parliamentary constituency.4 Efforts to get hold of the alleged perpetrators to get their side of the story on these past violations were fruitless," reads the report.