2.0 Summary of Violations for February In February 2018, 13 new incidences cases of Organized Violence and Torture (OVT) were reported and documented from across the country. Structural violence manifested in the form of harassment and intimidation centred mostly the BVR system where villagers were still being intimidated that the BVR system captures an individual’s face and this enables the system to link an individual to their vote hence they were forced to submit their BVR serial numbers. Some ZANU-PF officials and traditional leadership were reportedly seizing social situations and national programs to campaign and threaten those gathered for registration to vote for them in the 2018 elections and also collected BVR serial numbers from them. Also of concern was the use of brute force by the police when quelling demonstrations and dealing with vendors commuter omnibus operators and pirate taxis. These attacks on vendors and the public saw victims invariably facing trumped up charges of assaulting police officers such as in the case of Evans Gogo. Evans Gogo was severely tortured by the Forum and is receiving legal and medical support from the Forum and the Counselling Services Unit (CSU). Further, four (4) people (Gibson Kataruware, Denis Kondo, Prince Beni and Emmanuel Muzariri ) were tortured by the police after they were arrested on allegations of damaging property after the public stoned Harare Central Police Station and burnt several vehicles in protest of the shootings. Further, the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) as usual responded by using excessive force to crush a peaceful demonstration lodged by the National University of Science and Tecnonogy (NUST) students who were protesting against four weeks of not learning owing to collective job action by their lecturers. Widespread impunity for abuses by the police and the state security agents still remains. Reports from across the country regarding voter intimidation and coercion through the illegal recording of citizen’s serial numbers were also documented during the month. In a case recorded by the Forum, Abel Mauchi was assaulted by a ZANU PF supporter after he refused to reveal his BVR serial number. Cases in most provinces of Zimbabwe have been recorded and victims recommended to report the individual(s) to the police. The table below summarizes cases of OVT for February 2018. NB: The following notes should be put into consideration when reading these cases: § Human rights violations contained in this report are derived from statements made to the Forum’s Public Interest Unit, its member and partner organisations. 5