It was on 2 August 2000 at around midnight when people came to sing Chimurenga [liberation war] songs at my place. They banged on my door several times but I did not respond. They went away and took my foreman who persuaded me to come out. When I did they started demanding MDC t-shirts and they started beating me. This group of war vets was being led by a man called [name] who is the one who assaulted me with booted feet and a whip. He ordered me to roll in the mud and poured water over me. The torture lasted for about two hours. They left and threatened to come back and kill me. I suffered facial and bodily injuries. I am currently experiencing problems with my teeth, one of which broke during the assault and my right leg is painful even if I walk a very short distance. The gang leader came back threatening me with death several times. I reported the matter at Karoi but Sgt. [name] attended to me and told me to go back home and that the police would come and attend to me. This was on 4 August 2000. On the 6th the police came and arrested me for assaulting one [name] who was part of the group but I denied the charge. At one time they came to the farm numbering more than 100 demanding to see me and declared that no activity was going to take place at the farm but the police came to our rescue. I will be going for trial on the 17 October 2000 despite the fact that I was the one who was assaulted. 121 In some cases, there are allegations that police have worked with war veterans in carrying out land occupations. One worker who described being held hostage by war veterans militia on a farm for a number of months claimed that the Central Intelligence Organization was involved in directing the war veterans. I only saw CIOs, Bvu Mukumbe and another woman, Jiri. I think the CIO is the link between the [Zanu-PF] MP and the war veterans. The MP could give instructions to the war veterans via the CIO.122 Reports to human rights NGOs and journalists describe the involvement of police and soldiers in assisting some land occupations, and in some cases in looting of commercial farms. Journalist Basildon Peta of the Independent (London and Johannesburg) told Amnesty International: It was common knowledge that this was not spontaneous land invasions. The army led the invasions in [military] vehicles. They were used by the police and army to shift goods, loot farms. I saw them with my own eyes. The farms that were along the road, you’d see the army vehicles parked out there. When the invasions began last year [2000] you could see army vehicles going along the Bulawayo road to Kadoma.123 A former army officer, who said he was forced to leave the force because of his opposition to Zimbabwe’s intervention in the Democratic Republic of Congo, told human rights researchers how the army had been involved in fast track land reform. In addition to senior army officers being involved in the official land acquisition coordinating committees, he said: Resettlement is led by the army. Agritex, the [government] agricultural technical services arm, identifies land for resettlement, and sub-divides it. Then army coordinates the activities of the war veterans occupying the land. Officers are given leave to help coordinate, they are told they must dress in civilian clothes.124 121 Politically motivated violence in Zimbabwe 2000-2001, annex I. Human Rights Watch interview, worker, Marondera, Mashonaland East, July 27, 2001. 123 Amnesty International interview, November 30, 2001. 124 Amnesty International interview, November 28, 2001 122 Human Rights Watch 26 March 2002, Vol. 14, No. 1 (A)