1. FINDINGS FROM COMMUNITY CONSULTATIONS
From the focus group discussions and interviews carried out during investigations,
the ZHRC made the following findings:
1.1 Submission of serial numbers – In all three areas under investigation,
community members were being asked to submit their BVR slip serial
numbers to either the village heads, Councillors, Chairpersons of ZANU PF
or development committees or their representatives. However, no
explanation was being given to community members on why these serial
number were supposed to be submitted. Further, any defiance to such
orders was followed by threats of violence and intimidation, as well as
threats of not receiving any food aid or government inputs in future.
Complainants from Ward 16 Mutasa highlighted that they had reported this
to the District Administrator who said that he would look into the issue.
Complainants from Ward 19 highlighted that they had reported the issue at
Domborutinhira Police Station but the officer at the Police Post had refused
to open a docket for the case. He had highlighted that instead he would
follow up on the issue but nothing fruitful had materialised.
1.2 Perpetrators – In all three areas where complaints emanated from, the
alleged perpetrators were traditional leaders and ZANU PF officials. In
some instances, instructions to collect serial numbers were given by Village
Heads or Headmen and ZANU PF officials. From the random household
selection interviews it was noted that the communities are afraid of reporting
human rights violations for fear of victimisation and at times they are not
taken seriously by the police when they go to report.
1.3 Food aid distribution – This was not part of the initial complaint. However,
when the Commission was conducting random household selection
interviews for complainants from Mutasa District, in order to get
corroborative evidence of the BVR slips issue some of those interviewed in
Ward 16 indicated that there was corruption in the distribution of food aid.
This was because deceased persons still received food aid and that some
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