15 These remarks followed the arrest and brutal torture of leaders of the opposition and civic organisations when they sought to defy a ban on a “prayer meeting”. (Source: The Herald 24 March 2007) Statements by Didymus Mutasa In 2000 referring to an MDC campaign advertisement he is quoted as having said: “Those who do not understand must be beaten until they do understand.” In August 2001, he warned civil servants in Chimanimani that they risked being shot dead if they supported the MDC. (Source Daily News, 11 August 2001) “The MDC people come at night, they distribute their literature simply leave it dumped on the road and our people go and collect it and burn it because it is really dirt. Incidentally, I’ve given a new name to the MDC I do not really call them a movement for democratic change, I call them mentally deficient children. They haven’t got any minds at all because anyone who knows the history of this country will not behave as the MDC is behaving at the moment.” With all the rubbish that Tsvangirai is talking about people nonetheless will still go and vote for him and would you really think that these people are voting correctly? And are these people worth listening to?” (Source: Film footage from film entitled Fighting For Rights) In April 2006, in response by the threat by the MDC to peaceful mass protests, he said: “Anyone, particularly Tsvangirai who threatens peace and stability in this country will get capital punishment … and we mean it. We maintain organs of national security such as the army to protect the stability and integrity of our country. They will be instructed to use all resources at their disposal, including guns (to stop protests). We have shed blood before to achieve independence. So let no one be fooled that we will fold our arms while they (the opposition) cause mayhem and violence to remove democratically elected governments. They will pay and pay dearly.” (Source: Zimonline, 12 April 2006) In April 2006, in his capacity as State Security Minister, he said that armed soldiers and police would crush mass protests and that protesters would be shot. He said that no one should expect the government to “keep its security organs in the camps” in the face of opposition-instigated protests meant to oust it. "We will not fold our arms while the country burns. Organs of security are there to maintain security and no sane government in this world will keep its security organs in the camps while some mischievous elements destabilise the country, even threatening to remove a democratically elected government by force.” When put to him that security commanders might refuse to order their men to fire at civilians, he responded: Their words condemn them: The language of violence, intolerance and despotism in Zimbabwe.