Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum: Report on political violence in Bulawayo, Harare, Manicaland, Mashonaland
West, Masvingo, Matabeleland North, Matabeleland South and Midlands
MANICALAND
Attacks upon teachers and harassment of health workers
On 18 May a group of war veterans and their supporters and Zanu (PF) supporters, descended on the
Chimanimani village in two trucks last Tuesday morning and raided various schools. The beat teachers
and some were beaten into unconsciousness. Several teachers were hospitalised and three headmasters
went missing initially. The attackers also dragged some teachers from their classrooms, accused them of
being MDC supporters and stripped them naked in front of their students. They raided Tiya Primary
School and assaulted four school teachers with sticks and whips, accusing them of supporting the MDC.
They beat up three schoolteachers at Nyangu secondary and Chimanimani primary schools. The war
veterans abducted three of the schoolteachers and detained them at a camp they have established at
Charleshood Farm. They beat up these schoolteachers and then later released one of them. A number of
teachers initially went missing after this attack.
In May in Mutare health workers reported threats to staff of various sorts.
Beatings, threats and damage to property
On the occasion when the war veterans beat teachers in Chimanimani, they also intimidated many people
in the town. Tellers at the bank, workers at electricity supply company, the post office and the telephone
company were all threatened and followed when they went home from work. Some were beaten and had
their homes ransacked.” At the weekend people were told they had to attend a rally for the Zanu (PF
The war veterans also went to Border Timbers estate and lumber mill. After they had beaten several
workers and threatened management the company closed down operations for a while. The company has
since re-opened. The war veterans also invaded the farm of the MDC parliamentary candidate for
Chimanimani, Roy Bennett. In response to death threats, Bennett said he would rather give up his farm
than his allegiance to the MDC. But he left Chimanimani with his wife, Heather, after the war veterans
had held her hostage for several hours. When finally he was able to return to his once prosperous coffee
farm was in a shambles from looting and destruction. Many of his 600 workers have been badly beaten.
Other incidents
These incidents are mostly taken from newspaper reports. Some of the incidents reported includde the
following:
2 June, Birchenough Bridge
A group of 40 war veterans stormed Devure Ranch, disrupting a donor-funded practical course in
integrated production for Agriculture and Extension Services (Agritex), claiming the farm was theirs.
3 June, Mutasa, Bvuma
In Mutasa house of MDC-members were burnt down and at Bvuma some shops and houses were attacked
and business people threatened for supporting MDC.
3 June, Bvuma
The MDC candidate for the area, Evelyn Masaiti, was forced to flee to Mutare and could only return
protected by security guards.
4 June, Nyanga and Headlands
Five presumed MDC supporters were beaten badly and had to be hospitalised. One homestead was petrolbombed, and when an eight-year old girl tried to escape she was beaten by the attackers, as was her father
who had to be hospitalised.
4 June, Eastern Highlands
18 houses belonging to MDC members were destroyed.
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