4 violations committed, thus continuing the unacceptable process of granting impunity for human rights violations so characteristic of the Zimbabwean state. The victims frequently have had no one to turn to for protection. The police have even refused to let them make a report in some cases. Even when a police report is made and the violators are known, there is no guarantee of arrests. The police support unit has been sent in to quell some disturbances and to move on occupiers, and some police stations continue to attempt to carry out their duties professionally. But more commonly the police have remained passive and some of their members have even taken part in the violence. An increasing number of people have been charged in connection with political violence, but there have been few convictions. Perpetrators have often been placed on remand, released on bail or simply fined for common assault and freed to continue their activities. Those policemen who are struggling to carry out their duties in difficult circumstances have been subject to threats or to transfers. Two have been killed. Although the Forum is receiving daily reports of political violence these are only a minority of the cases that are occurring. Many incidents only come to light weeks after they have happened and victims are often afraid to speak out for fear of further intimidation. The full extent of the political violence is not known at present, and, whilst only an independent commission will have the capacity to estimate the scale, a conservative estimate derived from the Mberengwa East survey would indicate at least 24,000 victims of human rights violations. What can be said at this stage is that there is sufficient testimony to be able to identify strong patterns in the organisation and nature of the violence right across the country, consistent with newspaper reports that a military-style campaign has been launched against opposition supporters. The findings of the Forum show that the real threat to the electoral process and the long-term security of the nation is coming from militiastyle groups that have been established nationwide and which are openly backed by Zanu (PF) members. Their mission has been to wipe out opposition support and they have been licensed to terrorize civilians into voting for Zanu (PF). Sources The information for this report has been gathered from a variety of sources. Statements taken from victims of political violence are the main basis for this report and for the conclusions drawn by the Forum about the nature and extent of the violence. We have made medical assessments of the victims in many cases and have obtained copies of medical reports in others. We have given the victims a pseudonym or have removed their names in an effort to avoid them being easily identified. In some cases, the victims’ names are already in the public domain and can easily be verified, but we have nevertheless chosen not to name them ourselves. We are deeply concerned about the security of every individual who has reported to the