11 The fear that is governing farming communities at present has sealed off farm workers from outside support. GAPWUZ officials, for instance, have been unable to hold meetings and have had to exercise great caution during visits to the farms. In one instance the union leader was himself captured and tortured by being forced to sit in one place without moving for six hours. By placing monitors on most farms, and establishing camps upon others, war veterans and Zanu (PF) supporters have largely managed to control farm workers. Farmers whose properties are occupied have been regularly victimised by the war veterans and Zanu (PF) supporters. Many are deeply traumatised by persistent threats, harassment, demands and assaults. Five farmers have now been killed, but in two cases these may have been carried out by criminals exploiting the lawlessness created by the war veterans. The ongoing violations against farmers are also being recorded. The majority of victims interviewed by the Forum are members of opposition political parties whose positions as organisers have made them a target. The way in which these individuals have been identified, located and systematically attacked is further confirmation that the violence is highly organised and informed by sophisticated intelligence. Mass psychological torture was being used in many parts of the country. Entire communities are now traumatised; if they have not been directly targeted, people living in the communal areas and farming communities have been witness to public beatings or to daily intimidation. In some areas where schools have been closed either temporarily or for long periods, teachers were singled out as opposition sympathizers. Health workers have also been threatened or attacked and have, in some cases, been prevented from administering treatment to opposition supporters. Zanu (PF) supporters in Mberengwa called their party card a “passport to the area”. This is a statement which rings true with people in many parts of the country, where freedom of movement, association and speech were and are still restricted for those whose loyalties to the party are in question. Intimidation and violence have characterised the just completed by-election in Marondera West. Villagers, farm workers and farmers were forced to attend Zanu (PF) rallies or pungwes (all-night political meetings based upon traditional Shona rituals, developed during the 1970s liberation war). Houses were burnt and their contents looted or destroyed. The social and economic consequences of this terror campaign have not been fully assessed, but it is clear that they are extensive and they require immediate action. The victims who have given statements to the Forum, with only a few exceptions, were in need of either medical or practical assistance. They were all in desperate circumstances, most had been forced from their homes and into hiding. They were the survivors of attacks which were in most cases potentially life-