Human Rights Watch interviewed Philimon Chipiyo, MDC deputy mayor of
Chitungwiza, about progress in the investigation of the killing of his son and three
other young men in Chitungwiza on June 19. Chipiyo told Human Rights Watch:
When ZANU-PF supporters came to attack my house on… June 19—
when they also shot and killed my son and three other young men—I
was able to identify a community police officer who came driving his
truck. I only know his first name, Farai. When I went to report the case
at Chitungwiza police station the following day, the team that came to
investigate came in Farai’s car with Farai driving the same car that I
had seen when my son was killed. One police officer who came to my
house said, “Your report is false, we shall conduct our own
investigations in due course.” They never returned to carry out
investigations and no one has been arrested in connection with the
murders that took place at my house.94
Likewise, police refused to investigate the killing of Joshua Bakacheza, an MDC
driver who was abducted on June 24 by suspected ZANU-PF supporters and whose
body was later found on July 5 dumped in Beatrice (about 50 kilometers south of
Harare) in an advanced state of decomposition.95 Despite reports of his abduction,
police insisted that Bakacheza’s death was “non-political.” No arrests have been
made.
Lack of Investigation into Other Post-Election Abuses
On June 12 during the run-off election campaign period, following a presidential
campaign visit to Chegutu by MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai, several houses
belonging to senior MDC officials were petrol-bombed by known ZANU-PF militia
members. One house belonged to Gift Konjana who filed a report with the police to
no avail. He told Human Rights Watch:
94
Human Rights Watch Interview with Philimon Chipiyo, Chitungwiza, August 24, 2008.
95
Human Rights Watch interview with Bakacheza’s brother, Chegutu, August 29, 2008.
29
Human Rights Watch November 2008
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