MDC political activity in those areas, indicating a mellowing of tensions. In March the principals of the GPA, took a position against violence and also called upon their supporters to shun it. At independence celebrations President Mugabe maintained his call for ending political violence. Such important calls were expected to filter to the rank and file, the victims and perpetrators of political violence. On 16 June 2010, the principals to the GPA, President Mugabe, Prime Minister Tsvangirai and Deputy Prime Minister Mutambara made a statement at the launch of the Constitution Outreach Programme calling for the avoidance of intimidation and violence.49 The important gestures were intended to set the tone and encourage political transition on one hand and the people’s participation in the constitutional making process on the other. At face value, the collective stand by the leaders of the GPA against violence can be viewed as the most welcome and definite position against the resurgent momentum of political violence in the wake of the constitutional outreach. Instead, the calls appeared to have fanned the vitriol and violent spirit that has generally descended on the country, particularly during the constitutional outreach period. NON-COMPLIANCE Compared to the pre-GPA era, the period under review can be regarded as relatively stable with a decline in the incidence of political violence, intimidation and aggression. However, many acts of violence were recorded on commercial farms, where invasions persist. Other incidences involved attacks at party gatherings or attacks made because of party affiliation. These involved aggressors from both the MDC formations and ZANU-PF. Most of the violence was meted out on MDC supporters by ZANU-PF, resulting in the loss of property and internal displacement. In Mashonaland East there were reports of torture, theft of livestock, and destruction of property belonging to individuals who had refused to attend ZANU-PF party meetings. In the same area, there were also reports that security forces launched an operation ahead of the constitutional outreach meetings, called Chimumumu, ostensibly to influence citizen views on the constitution making process in favour of the Kariba Draft. At the outset of the constitutional outreach meetings there were reports of a resurgent violence led by some elements from the CIO, the army and ZANU-PF in Karoi, Chinhoyi, Mberengwa, and some parts of Mashonaland East and Central. In Chinhoyi, a constitutional outreach meeting organized by COPAC was disrupted. There are also reports of encamped youths at the venues where consultations are supposed to be held, in Bindura, Masvingo and Gweru, and toy-toying soldiers threatening residents who dare go against the ZANU-PF position in Karoi50 on the constitution. There are reports that the civil societies monitoring the outreach process were assaulted by ZANU-PF supporters. Some traditional leaders were alleged to be setting curfews and calling out registers in their villages to determine the whereabouts of the villagers and the circumstances of their travel, exacerbating a situation already rife with fear and intimidation.51   Veritas,  Constitution  Watch  10/2010,  21  June  2010.  The Zimbabwean, ìChaos Mars Outreach exerciseî, June 25, 2010 51  Radio VOP 49 50 CIVIL SOCIETY MONITORING MECHANISM (CISOMM) SIX MONTH SHADOW REPORT ON THE PERFORMANCE OF THE INCLUSIVE OF ZIMBABWE 49