Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum: Report on political violence in Bulawayo, Harare, Manicaland, Mashonaland West, Masvingo, Matabeleland North, Matabeleland South and Midlands Other nuns are now afraid of wearing their uniforms in public and have attended their meetings in casual clothes. They advised me to take along the Zanu (PF) card of my deceased father, but the name of the surname wouldn’t coincide. We agreed that I travel in casual clothes the following day, removing my habit and the cross, for they said Zanu (PF) activists get infuriated when they see a cross. Anyway, during the night, I thought it over and decided that I’ll have to die on the journey. It was better to do so as a sister, with my full habit on, everyone knowing that I am religious. So in the morning I put on my habit and boarded a bus for Gokwe. Case 2: Area Kariba Kenneth is an MDC supporter. On 24 April Zanu (PF) supporters came to his residence. They knocked the door and he peeped through a window and saw a number of about 30 strong youths. They abducted him and led him to Zanu (PF) offices within Kariba town. He identified at least two youths but does not know their names. When they were at Zanu (PF) offices the youths begun to assault him with wooden sticks on the legs and back. After the assault he was released. He reported this assault to the Police Station in Kariba but no paper work was completed. Case 3: Area Hurungwe On the 18 May Constance, an MDC co-ordinator went to visit the members of her party in the area. When the MDC members saw her they told her to go back because the Zanu (PF) supporters had warned them that they did not want to see any MDC people in the area. She was told that the situation was not conducive for MDC activities in the area. She decided to go back to Karoi urban, and got a bus at about 2.00 pm. As she arrived at a Township on her way back, the bus was ordered to stop by Zanu (PF) supporters in a blue Karoi council truck. He drove to the nearby police station. Constance was ordered out of the bus and told to get into the truck, in front of the police. She was then taken to the Township and was tortured and beaten severely at the ZANU (PF) offices. She was beaten using iron bars, wire, rubber sjamboks and wooden logs. She was asked to surrender all MDC cards and documents that she was in possession of. She was forced to sing MDC campaign songs and slogans, and was then beaten for doing so. She was also forced to denounce the MDC and Mogan Tsvangirai, and to resign from the MDC with immediate effect. At about 7.00 pm, the Zanu (PF) supporters forced a taxi driver to take Constance to Karoi, a drive of about 80 km. The taxi driver demanded money from her, which she paid. She is currently receiving medical treatment in Chinhoyi for the bruises on the mouth, buttocks, under the foot, backbone, and calf muscles. She has since left her home in Karoi to live in Chinhoyi with friends, where she feels somewhat safer. Case 4: Area Hurungwe On 20 May at around 10.00 pm, a group of Zanu (PF) youths knocked on the door of Davidson, who worked for an NGO in a rural area of Hurungwe. Three of the youths entered the bedroom where he was sleeping with his wife and two children. They asked him to produce all personal identification. Among the particulars he had a Zanu (PF) party card which he had bought for security reasons. They searched his house looking for anything that belonged to an opposition party, because they accused him of teaching opposition politics. After failing to find any evidence, they told him to come the following day to clear the ground in preparation for the Zanu (PF) rally, which was going to be held that day. Davidson was forced to attend the rally, which started with an intimidatory prayer where the almighty God and spirits of Ambuya Nehanda and Sekuru Kaguvi were asked to come and assist Zanu (PF) in eliminating the opposition, which is said to have sold the country out to the whites. As the meeting was about to start, the master of ceremonies said “All opposition supporters, could you please stand up now and show yourselves to the public before we point at you.” Nobody stood up. The Zanu (PF) supporters had a list of names that they called out, but none of the people on the list was there. They asked all the teachers who were present to come up front and explain what they were teaching the students about. One of the teachers replied, “The authorized syllabus.” The teachers were told to go somewhere with the war veterans, and it is not known what happened to them. Davidson was again asked to produce his identity papers at the rally, where there were approximately 5000 people. He was also asked to explain the kind of education that he takes to the people. He explained, and was fortunate that he had once held a voter education meeting with the war veterans at their camp. Thus, the war veterans supported his claims that he was not teaching opposition politics, but other peoples were claiming that they personally knew him to be a member of the opposition. He was then told to carry out part of his education programme at the rally. He managed to win the hearts of many Zanu (PF) faithfuls as he was explaining about political tolerance as a principle of democracy. In his presentation it is said that Davidson was very careful that he did not refer to himself as an outsider, but rather as a member of Zanu (PF) (although he is not). Hence he escaped 6