Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum: Report on political violence in Bulawayo, Harare, Manicaland, Mashonaland West, Masvingo, Matabeleland North, Matabeleland South and Midlands assaulted. I then went and sought refuge in Zvishavane, where there were about 40 to 50 other political refuges. My house was also destroyed, along with all the property inside it, and they are currently using my house as a toilet. I discovered this when I went there with the NCA people. My family and workers have deserted the place, without any other property than the clothes that they were wearing (the same applies to me). I received medication for the injuries sustained during the assaults. Some sort of compensation was promised for the property that had been destroyed On several occasions the Mataga police could not take action and at times shouted at us for disturbing their nights with their wives because of the numerous reports of violence. Case 10 - Area: Mberengwa I was an MDC polling agent at Chipfumba Primary School in Mberengwa. On 24 June we were being deployed to our polling stations in the back of an open truck. As we passed through Tom shopping centre, some Zanu (PF) supporters led by Biggie Chitoro started throwing stones at us. One of the stones struck me on the knee, and I began to bleed. We managed to escape, and were deployed. We made a report to the police at ZRP Mataga, but no arrests had been made by the day we left. I received treatment for my knee at Zvishavane district hospital. Case 11 - Area: Mberengwa I am the youth secretary for MDC based at Mataga in Mberengwa. On 30 May, a man called Later came leading a group of about 2000 Zanu (PF) supporters to my house at around 3 pm. They were singing revolutionary songs, and started destroying window panes. They broke through the door and dragged me out of the house. There were two of us in the house and the other one, (Tsodzo), who had come in from Harare with Mrs Holland was initially left alone. They started assaulting me with sticks and batons. I lost consciousness, and when I came around, they had already left the scene. Some of the people involved were: Ronica Siluli, Alice, Portia, Phidz Hugwe, Learnmore, Memory, MaNdlovu, Ernest and several others whom I recognized. Others are Sithabile and Sikhangezile Mataka. I had messed myself when I woke up, and they came back singing. I hid in the toilet, and they started burning our clothes and books, cutting up mattresses, and burning the blankets. They could not locate me in the toilet. I managed to escape to the ZRP camp at around 7.00 pm, and made a report. We spent one day at the camp, and left for Zvishavane. We then left for Harare (8 of us), and were transferred to a house in Waterfalls. We managed to go and vote back in Mberengwa. Case 12 - Area: Mberengwa I am an ordinary MDC member based in Mberengwa. On 10 June I repaired two punctured tyres for an MDC official who had come for a rally in Mberengwa. 5 Zanu (PF) supporters came to my house, but they could not locate me. Three people came back on 24 May and they accused me of being a sellout. The people were Chitova, Svinurai and another whose name I have forgotten. They ordered me to lock my doors and follow them. I asked them our destination, but they refused to tell me. One of them entered my room and grabbed me by the hand, and I pushed him away. He signalled for his other colleagues to come, and they surrounded my place (there was about thirty of tem. They started assaulting me with booted feet and open hands. They tied my hands ad ordered me to go to Texas Farm, which is about thirty kilometers away. I was being forced to dive into the water whenever we came across a pond or river, and was assaulted all the way to the farm. At the farm I was assaulted by yet another group of people, who were singing Chimurenga songs. Two other people who had been abducted were also brought. They started assaulting all of us with sticks. We were forced to go to the cattle dip and made to swim. We were not allowed to come out of the tank, even when we began to tire. They had surrounded the tank, and they assaulted any one of us trying to come out of the tank. After that we were ordered to come out and wriggle on the ground like snakes for a distance of about 20 to 30 metres, but we could not. They then continued assaulting us, but saw that we couldn’t take much more. We were then told to jump like frogs, but we couldn’t. They allowed us to walk to their base. Some of them told us to climb a trend then jump out of it headlong, but we refused. The assault then continued. They took some hot ashes and poured them down the trousers of the other two people. Then one of their commanders (Makoni) arrived and told them to stop. We then warmed ourselves by the fire, and we slept there. The following day we could not walk, so we put up there for another night. They then escorted us back to our villages. We were told not to report to the police or to seek medication, but I had to. I went to Munene Hospital and received some treatment. They could not take an X-ray because there was a power cut, and I did not come back when they asked me to, for fear of another abduction. 18