3 THE POLITICS OF VIOLENCE AND FEAR IN ZIMBABWE 3.1 Zimbabwean politics, violence and fear – main trends (29) 3.2 Histories of Zimbabweans’ exposure to violence and intimidation (30) 3.3 Experiences of violence and intimidation in contemporary Zimbabwe (32) Community-based experiences of reasons and responsibility for violence (35) Zimbabwe today is a complex blend of contrasting transitional trends. Parts suggest that a normalisation of politics may be pending; elsewhere there is a continuous prevalence of fear. Even in the ‘quiet’ times violence and intimidation are often just below the surface. It is only on the most generic questions about safety (and on issues of daily non-political business) that Zimbabweans feel free to operate. As soon as the world of politics is entered, there are multiple expressions of continuation of fear due to violence and intimidation (or the manifest threat thereof). Where there have been improvements, these combine with threatened-expected resuscitations. The theme of violence and fear also features in the context of past and future elections. 3.1 Zimbabwean politics, violence and fear – main trends The survey reveals a pattern of virtually omnipresent awareness of threat to personal safety once the border of the personal is crossed and the world of politics is entered. Whilst a large majority feel safe to go about doing their daily business [Q46], 89% say they have to be careful about what they say about politics [Q42A], and 54% say they do not feel free to express their political views [Q47A]. Other pertinent trends are: Zimbabweans say that they feel free to speak to strangers who enter their communities [Q29E], or to simply move around their daily business [Q46]. But, when it comes to political matters specifically, 54% say they do not feel free to express their political views [Q47A]. Simultaneously, when the question was placed in a political context, 74% said they fear the possible occurrence of violence and intimidation in their daily lives [Q42B]; 89% reckon that they often or always have to be careful about what they say about politics [Q42A]. Substantial proportions – more than one-third of the total number of respondents on several violence-intimidation items – have been exposed to violence and intimidation [Q44]. Large proportions of the survey respondents – 44% in the case of violence and intimidation – report that family members have been exposed [Q45]. These Zimbabweans report that mere threats of political violence rekindle the fears that they have once felt in situations of violence [Q47B]. 29