Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum Table 1: Human rights violations resulting from political violence during 2000 Type of Violation Unlawful killing: total Zimbabwe Republic Police war vets / Zanu-PF other / unknown unlawful arrest / detention: ZRP / CIO unlawful assault: ZRP / ZNA kidnapping / disappearance torture degrading treatment rape firearms offences: total ZRP other death threat child sexual abuse school closure property-related Total > means 'more than' Preelect 72 (2) (40) (30) 18 1 >700 >60 2 >10 3 0 (3) >70 0 >550 >865 Postelect 8 0 (4) (4) 24 6 99 >30 0 0 45 0 (45) >58 10 3 >60 Total % 80 (2) (44) (34) 42 7 >799 >90 2 >10 48 0 (48) >128 10 >553 >925 3.0 2351 343 2694 1.6 0.3 29.7 3.3 0.1 0.4 1.8 4.8 0.4 20.5 34.3 100.2 Violence at Constituency Level There seems to be no correlation between constituencies having voted ‘no’ in the referendum and political violence before the election. In 11 constituencies, no political violence was recorded before or after the election. They were Beit Bridge, Gwanda South and Matobo (in Matabeleland South province); Chirumanzu, Kadoma West and Silobela (Midlands); Zaka East and Zaka West (Masvingo); Mutare North (Manicaland); Makonde (Mashonaland West); and Bulawayo North-East. Only six had had voted ‘yes’ in the referendum, four ‘no’ and one (Gwanda South) was a newly-delimited constituency with no Referendum record. The 10 worst constituencies in respect of the incidence of political violence were: Hurungwe East, Murehwa South, Mberengwa East, Budiriro (Harare), Mudzi, Mazowe West, Harare Central, Murehwa North, Mberengwa West and Goromonzi. Four are located in Mashonaland East province, two in Harare, two in the Midlands, and one each in Mashonaland Central and Mashonaland West provinces. There is some overlap with districts which recorded the highest number of killings, respectively Kariba (4) and Harare, Mazowe, Murehwa, Mutoko, Seke and Shamva (3 each). Of these, seven voted ‘yes’. The two Harare constituencies voted ‘no’ and for the MDC in the election, while Goromonzi voted ‘no’ but returned a Zanu-PF MP. It would appear that Zanu-PF inflicted the worst violence on its own core supporters in its traditional heartland. The only logical explanation for this apparently aberrant political behaviour is that Zanu-PF feared losing its core support more than it feared losing in other places. To be thought to be a wavering Zanu-PF supporter seems to have been at least as if not more dangerous than to be a known opposition supporter. Three constituencies experienced only post-election violence: Glen Norah (Harare), and the two 37

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