When Human Rights Watch visited the town of Rusape in Manicaland province in December 2004, MDC supporters reported that they were unable to wear MDC regalia in the town centre of Rusape and surrounding rural areas, and that ZANU PF youth and supporters routinely forced them to attend ZANU PF rallies and public meetings. They stated that they held secret meetings and were afraid that ruling party supporters would infiltrate their meetings.70 According to one MDC supporter from Mashonaland Central, “Every evening youths [from ZANU PF] walk around the township checking if the opposition is gathering to hold meetings. They do it under the pretext of security. If you are caught you are in trouble.”71 Human Rights Watch was told that visitors to the rural parts of the provinces, especially those from the cities of Harare and Bulawayo, were also treated with suspicion by ZANU PF members and supporters and accused of belonging to the MDC.72 A local human rights monitor from Zvimba commented, “If a stranger comes they ask who they are and they want to find out if the person is opposition. Some ruling party supporters go to the chief and will say that this family has received a visitor… So sometimes you have to go and explain.” She described how the chief summoned her family after they received a visitor from outside the area in late January 2005: Last time they (ZANU PF supporters) came to our house where we had a visitor late at night, my uncle. They came around 12pm and we were asked why did he come? And at such a time? They wanted to know if he belonged to the ruling party. The following day they went to the chief to ask why we had such a visitor. And so we had to go to the chief to explain.73 A local human rights activist described the situation in Kariba, Mashonaland West: Youths from the bases (youth militia bases) are now trying to verify who the villagers in this village are. They are asking visitors who are you? Where are you coming from? Who do you support? They are saying 70 Human Rights Watch interview, Rusape, December 18, 2004. 71 Human Rights Watch interview, Harare, February 16, 2005. 72 Human Rights Watch interviews with human rights activists, ordinary Zimbabweans, Harare and Bulawayo, December 2004 and February 2005. 73 Human Rights Watch interview, Chinhoyi, February 17, 2005. 16