Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum: Report on violence against peaceful protestors in Harare the impending confrontation, were caught in the cross fire as they unknowingly created a buffer zone between the two parties. Eight people, most of them Saturday shoppers, were injured in the scuffle. Five of them – four women and one man – were taken to the Baines Avenue 24 Hour Emergency Rooms where they were treated before being discharged. Three others were taken to the Avenues Clinic, where two were discharged in the afternoon and one was said to have been admitted to the High Dependency Unit. He was, however, said to be in a stable condition. Zimbabwe’s former colonial master, Britain condemned the violence as “thuggery orchestrated from on high”. The ‘peaceful’ march was organised to call for an end to the recent spate of invasions of commercial farms and an end to officially backed threats of violence should ZANU (PF) lose in the forthcoming election. The demonstrators were taken by surprise by the ZANU (PF) members, whom they initially thought were another group that was coming to join the peaceful march. They only realised too late that the mob, which numbered about 300, was in a war mood as they swooped on them, brandishing all sorts of weapons, including concrete blocks which they hurled indiscriminately at shopper and onlookers. Police watched helplessly as the ZANU (PF) louts started beating anyone suspected to be part of the NCA demonstrators, causing part of the demonstrators to scurry for safety. Narrating what happened, a participant in the demonstration told The Standard: “At various points the march paused, and one of these was the junction of First Street and Union Avenue. It seemed there was a group coming in on Union Avenue to join, but as they drew closer, there were cries of ‘It’s ZANU (PF)! And people began to flee as the newcomers hurled rocks and other missiles. The few riot police on the scene ran to intervene but were vastly outnumbered and the attackers rampaged on up Union Avenue.” Richard Calder of St Luke’s Anglican Church, one of the victims who sustained injuries on the head and back and was admitted to the Avenues clinic said: “It was a great victory for peace. We fell that the evil side of ZANU (PF) has come out.” A woman who was helping a beggar to get out of the way during the clashes was assaulted by ZANU (PF) supporters who accused her of being an MDC supporter. She was admitted at the Avenues and had three stitches on her head. “We are disgusted. This is sickening,” said Thoko Matshe, the chairperson of the NCA. Earlier in the day, Grace Kwinjeh, an MDC executive member and Mick Pearce, a local architect, along with three others were arrested for refusing to obey police orders to disperse. The five were given an option to an admission of guilt, but they refused on the grounds that they had been granted a court order. They are now expected to appear in court tomorrow. Brain Kagoro, the NCA’s spokesman, said what irked them was that police watched as their members, who were holding nothing but placards, were beaten up. The police only reacted after several people had already been floored by the attackers. Kagoro said the police had tried to deny them their right to carry out the peaceful march in the city despite the fact that they were awarded a court order by Justice Chatikobo compelling the police to allow the march to proceed. Kagoro said they submitted the court order to Senior Assistant Commissioner Emmanuel Chimwanda and Assistant Commissioner Banda, who is in charge of operations, but were surprised when some of their members were arrested. Chimwanda told The Standard that NCA wrote a letter to them asking for permission to carry out the march and they were referred to the Officer Commanding District for permission. He said they were not granted permission because the War Veterans had also asked for permission to march in the city centre on the same day. - 17 -