10 4. Bindura By-election – 27-28 July 2001 The Bindura by-election took place on 27-28 July in one of the bloodiest and most contentious constituencies in the country. The election was held after Zanu (PF) MP, Border Gezi, died in a car accident, and pitted previous MDC candidate, Elliot Pfebve, against the incumbent Provincial Governor of Mashonaland Central, Elliot Manyika. Manyika had taken over the Governorship from Border Gezi, when the latter won the parliamentary seat of Bindura. Dubbed the ‘Battle of the Elliots’ by the press, the election built on a history of severe violence that was established during the parliamentary pre-election period. Despite the high level of violence and constant intimidation, Elliot Pfebve decided to build on his popularity and run for the seat again. Though losing to Zanu (PF) a year earlier, the MDC had made an unexpectedly strong showing in the election, with Gezi winning by a very small and highly disputed majority. In fact, this petition had been challenged in the courts, but Gezi died before the courts could heard the challenge. The MDC desperately wanted to prove that it could win in a Zanu (PF) stronghold. Zanu (PF) on the other hand, could not afford to lose a key constituency with a high-profile candidate. Both parties were eager to demonstrate their influence in Bindura as it consists of rural, urban, peri-urban, communal, commercial and resettled areas. In essence, Bindura is a microcosm of the entire country. During the General Election, massive violence had enveloped Bindura, a traditional Zanu (PF) stronghold, and resulted in many deaths and injuries. Perhaps the most widely covered act of violence was the death of Matthew Pfebve, brother of MDC candidate Elliot Pfebve, at the hands of Zanu (PF) supporters. Zanu (PF) supporters kidnapped Matthew at his brother’s house thinking he was the candidate. His attackers refused to believe that he was not Elliot Pfebve and beat him to death. During the bye-election, both parties pulled out all the stops to campaign by holding rallies addressed by their national party leadership. With so many high-profile visitors and the attention of the entire nation, the pre-election period felt like much more than a parliamentary by-election. One of the more serious incidents involved an attack and reported assassination attempt on MDC President Morgan Tsvangirai, Pfebve, and other high-ranking MDC officials. During a campaign swing through the constituency, their convoy was attacked by 100 Zanu (PF) youths wearing party t-shirts. The mob attacked the convoy with stones and sticks, and tried to torch the vehicles. Some of the vehicles, including one belonging to the independent Daily News newspaper, were set ablaze. The convoy managed to escape without sustaining any serious injuries. Though this was perhaps the most serious incident of the campaign, numerous other acts of violence occurred. Reports indicate that opposition supporters were the most frequent targets of assaults. They were often attacked with chains, axes, stones and sticks. There were many reports of looting and destruction of property, including acts of arson against homes, vehicles and stores of food. Zanu (PF) supporters were allegedly the main perpetrators, yet the majority of the 40 people arrested in the pre-election period for political violence were MDC supporters.26 Due to the high levels of violence, the election results are difficult to read accurately with regards to the true will of the people. The official results had Zanu (PF)’s Manyika the winner with 15,864 votes compared to 9,456 for the MDC’s Pfebve. According to official reports 3,500 new voters registered in Bindura compared to the June 2000 elections, and there was an increase of 2.5 per cent of eligible voters who cast a ballot. On the whole the MDC lost about 1,800 votes from the previous year’s total while Zanu (PF) gained 2,500. 26 See ZESN (2001), Bindura By-election Report, HARARE: ZESN. AMANI TRUST: Organised Violence and Torture in the Bye-Elections held in Zimbabwe during 2000 and 2001.