Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum: Report on violence against peaceful protestors in Harare He accused the MDC leader, Morgan Tsvangirai of being a sell-out, charging that Tsvangirai was a coward who had fled the war. Cde Mahiya said there was no going back on the land issue. He said whites were supporting the MDC not because they wanted Tsvangirai to rule, but to safe guard their interests on land. “The issue is about land. The whites know that Tsvangirai cannot rule so they are using him. The war veterans spearheaded the programme to get land after so many years of ‘consultations’, some of which were held in hotels while squandering money. Nothing came out of these discussions,’ he said to the crowd’s applause. The war veterans national chairman, Cde Chenjerai Hunzvi said the launching of the second phase of the land resettlement programme at Dromoland Farm in Matabeleland North by President Mugabe was a way forward and should be applauded. At the farm war veterans were given 20 per cent of the land. “We are intensifying the commercial farm occupation. There is no going back. Land will be given to the people. We are in the process of confiscating firearms. We want the police to explain what these guns were being kept for. “If they do not, we shall confiscate the guns and keep them ourselves,” said Cde Hunzvi. Cde Hunzvi said the war veterans would make sure that the country went for elections after all land had been given to the people. Statements made by various organisations condemning the violent disruption of the march No 1. - Statement by Amani On the morning of Saturday, 1st April 2000 a large, peaceful march was taking place in Harare. Its purpose was to call for peace in our country and for elections to take place in conditions, which would ensure that they were free and fair. The march had proceeded around the streets of Harare and had been completely free of violence. The protesters were cheerful and non-intimidating and the general public seemed to be responding positively to the message being put across by the demonstrators. The protesters were composed of blacks and whites, men, women and children and even nuns and priests. As the marchers were turning from First Street into Union Avenue in order to go to Africa Unity Square they were set upon by a group of at least 200 armed thugs. This group had set off from ZANU (PF) headquarters, after having been addressed by the Chairman of the War Veterans, Dr Chenjerai Hunzvi. They were carrying various weapons. They had armed themselves with branches they had broken off trees and with large stones they picked up. They obviously knew where the protesters were at that point. They ran up Union Avenue past contingents of riot squad, who made no attempt to stop them. They then launched a vicious and cowardly attack upon the peace marchers. People fled in terror. Amongst the fleeing people were shoppers and bystanders who were not part of the peace march. A barrage of stones was flung at the fleeing people. The stones thrown were very large stones. Several people were hit on the head and various other parts of their bodies by the stones. Some were badly injured. People were chased and beaten with sticks and various other implements including in one case a strand of barbwire. Whites were particularly targeted during this attack and a number of women were injured including two women who were trying to assist an elderly black and a blind man to get out of the way of the attackers. Some of the injured had not taken part in the march such as a white man who was attacked after he had come out of his bank. Only after the thugs had swept past did the police intervene by throwing tear gas to disperse people. The police apparently confiscated some weapons but no arrests were apparently made of violent attackers. Earlier the police had arrested two peaceful demonstrators who had refused to disperse when ordered to do so by the police. - 25 -