Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum: Report on political violence in Bulawayo, Harare, Manicaland, Mashonaland West, Masvingo, Matabeleland North, Matabeleland South and Midlands Zanu (PF) supporters surrounded her house. They took her husband outside for questioning and told him to produce MDC cards and T-shirts. They then took her and her husband away. Her story goes on as follows: They took me and my husband and force marched us. We met up with other MDC supporters, who were also brought along. In the end there was about twelve of us, and we were surrounded by about 500 Zanu (PF) supporters bearing spears, axes, knobkerries and planks with nails. They made us sit under some trees about 500m from the road. We were made to sit in a row, and they surrounded us, not allowing us to look around. They then started to beat us with their hands and their tools. One of us was already injured, since he had been beaten before as he tried to get away. After the torture, I was asked to go back home. They wanted me to collect everything from home – my register, MDC cards, T-shirts, and the names of people who had been beaten by the war vets previously. They threatened to cut my head off if I didn’t agree. The Zanu (PF) supporters included youths and war vets, women and men. After I surrendered the items that they required, they made my husband pack, because he is from Zaka – they told him to go home. Christen Ncube went into the house and searched for all the items that belonged to my husband, and threw them into a suitcase. He carried the case to my husband at the tree, and threw it at him. There were 8 policemen there, whom we knew from Mataga, but they didn’t accompany us. These policemen watched the beating There was also Walter Mazhimhanga, a CIO officer from Mataga. Then one of the policemen, Mr Machingura (asked the Zanu (PF) members to produce a document from Rugare Gumbo, the Zanu (PF) candidate to say that my husband must leave. They could not produce such a document so the policeman said that my husband shouldn’t leave. My husband was allowed to go back to the house and stay. On 1 May we had moved into the premises of Mrs Holland’s “Peace House”. The Zanu (PF) members demanded that we leave the place where we live. There were normally three guys staying with us, the ones who had been attacked by Big Chitoro, but they were not there at the time.We didn’t leave the house, because we were unable to get out without being captured. On Monday we managed to escape, since the monitoring was continuing, and crept to the police where we made a report. We then spent the day in the forest. In the evening we came back. Zanu (PF) came and told us that come of them were looking for us and wanted to kill us. That evening my husband slept in the bush. On Wednesday morning we went to a workshop held by Mrs Holland. There were mostly women there – over 20 of us – because it was a women’s workshop. We were taught how to make peanut butter and soap. We were mostly outside, although there were some of us inside. The Zanu (PF) members came to disrupt the meeting. Our MDC security (16 guys) went outside and tried to prevent this, although they were trying not to pick a fight. The Zanu (PF) people threatened to machete our security, who then disarmed one of them and proceeded to beat him up. They took him to the police at Mataga. All of the Mataga police came around with guns and batons and started chasing our security. Most of them got away, but unfortunately some of the men were still in the house. Mrs Holland was taken to the police, and we were all remanded in police custody. We remained there overnight, and in the morning (1 June), we were ferried to Zvishavane in a police Defender. They had heard that the war vets wanted to cut off our heads. We were all taken at about 1130 am. 8 members of MDC (mostly men) were said to have been beaten by Zanu (PF), but not yet in Zvishavane. The police never do anything. The Zanu (PF) people have a base at Bara farm, run by Zephaniah Hove. They are led by Big Chitoro, the war veteran. He patrols both Bara Farm and the Cold Storage Commission at the Mberengwa turnoff, which is another base. If a bus comes along the road, they will stop it and make people get off it. They then demand Zanu (PF) cards, saying it is a passport into the area – without it you cannot enter. If you do not carry a card they will not allow you in, stopping you by force. People are beaten for not possessing Zanu (PF) cards. I cannot go back until after the elections – if they even see us they will kill us. They took all our property, but have only the clothes that we are wearing. The houses were burnt down, and we have nothing else. The Zanu (PF) people are now telling people that the ballot box machines record whether you vote for MDC, and they take your picture if you do. They are threatening people with death if they vote for Zanu (PF). Case 2 – Area: Mberengwa On 15 May he was attacked at his school house (he live beside his parents). The school house was destroyed, and the property inside was stolen and destroyed. 3 teachers were hurt and his 17 year old cousin was attacked, suffering injuries on the shoulder. He personally received two axe blows to the head, and suffered from a broken tibia as a result of five axe cuts. He was left for dead, and was unconscious for 30 minutes. The attack was led by George Makombe (who threatened victim’s father before the incident), and included some 10-15 ZANU (PF) supporters, 6-8 of whom were personally involved in the attack. They attacked with axes, knives, sticks and stones, and petrol bombed the house. Other perpetrators 15