The violence emanated from the jostling for the House of Assembly and local government candidature. For instance, the MDC-Alliance consensus-building meetings conducted in May were characterized by violence in most parts of the country. Violent skirmishes, allegations of voter rigging, manipulation and intimidation characterized the MDC-A meetings held in Budiriro, Glen View North and South, Zengeza, Kambuzuma and Gokwe. ▪ On 20 May 2018, in Budiriro suburb, MDC-A youths from Ward 43 resisting the imposition of Costa Machingauta blocked people from voting and closed the entry gate to the community hall resulting in the postponement of the elections.7 ▪ On 27 May 2018, In St Mary’s, Chitungwiza, violence characterized the consensus- building process, with counter complaints and arrests, home invasions, emotional and physical fights, mainly fronted by the MDC-A youths.8 ▪ On 27 May 2018, in Glen View South Vimbai Tsvangirai Java the then aspiring legislator had to be escorted out of the venue after MDC-A party supporters turned violent and accused her of imposing herself in the constituency.9 Similarly, the ZANU PF primary elections that were held from the 29th of April to the 1st of May 2018, were tainted by irregularities which included, violence, assault, vote buying, ballot stuffing, harassment and intimidation, manipulation of voter registers and the deployment of police officers as polling agents.10 7 ▪ On 03 May 2018, in Chegutu West, at Chinengundu Primary School, there were intra party skirmishes involving Dexter Nduna and his rival resulting in Nduna discharging a firearm and the injuring of one person. ▪ On 13 July 2018, at the ZANU PF Tembwe offices in Epworth, Ward 4, two people namely Chakafira Sande and Arthur Tome were seriously injured whilst 11 more people were injured during inter-party clashes which started at 1000 hrs and ended around 1500hrs. A group of ZANU PF youths from Epworth Ward 7, under the leadership of Kudakwashe Damson, Gift Kupfirira, Lavet Kwaramba and Peter Kadumbu disrupted a meeting held at Tembwe and accused the people from ward 4 of supporting Zalerah Makari. Makari was the ZISO / Ilihlo Citizen Reports 8 IYWD and Alliance of Community Based Organisations (ACBOs) Preliminary of MDC-T primary elections Observation Reporthttp://kubatana.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Alliance-MDC-Primaries-ObservationReport.pdf 9 Ibid 10 Heal Zimbabwe, Statement on the recent ZANU PF Intra-party violence, 04 May 2018, available on, http://kubatana.net/2018/05/04/statement-recent-zanu-pf-intra-party-violence/ 16