Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum: Report on pre-election political violence in Mberengwa Torture Zanu (PF) members and war veterans established a base for torture and assault at Texas Ranch Farm in Mberengwa. Several persons took part in the torture that included burning and cutting members of or suspected members of the opposition. Torture and assault at the base was lead by a man known as ‘Biggie’ Chitoro whose name is actually Wilson Kufa Chitoro. Case 11: I am an MDC member from Buhera. I was one of those who went to Mberengwa to escort the MDC candidate for Mberengwa East, Mrs Holland for nominations. On 3 June we went back to Mataga growth point so we could make signatures on the nomination form. We did this successfully. On our way back, the truck in which five of us were travelling broke down about 10 kms outside Mberengwa. We left it there overnight and we got a lift to Zvishavane. We thought it was a problem of fuel so the next day we went back with 40 litres of fuel. We found the car and filled it up, but when we tried to start it the truck would not start. So we found we had another problem. It was around 4:00 pm. I was looking at the engine, when suddenly I saw a crowd of people coming from nowhere, there were plus or minus 60 of them. They were carrying weapons, sjamboks etc. There were only four of us so we just had to surrender. I don’t know how the identified us as MDC. We were even wearing Zanu (PF) T-shirts for disguise purposes. They suspect anyone they don’t know. If you are a stranger it is a nogo area. They made us lie down. They took ropes and tied our hands and legs and they started assaulting us. They were beating us with sjamboks. While this was happening, a police defender reached the scene. The driver was a sergeant. They had someone inside they were taking to hospital I think. Then he drove away saying he would come back, but he didn’t. Around 7:00 pm, they took us to their base at Texas farm. Most of them were of school-going age. They are staying there and killing the cattle from the farms to eat. They made a fire and they began assaulting us using fire. First it was my friend Matika. They tied plastic round his hands and legs and then lit it. He is now being treated in Zvishavane. Next it was my turn. They beat me first. Then they used all the same tactics, wrapping my legs, hands and private parts and lighting the plastics. They also lit some plastic and then dropped it on us as it melted. They were taking hot ashes and spreading them on my body. My hands and legs were tied. [The victim has visible, severe burns all over his back, arms and chest consistent with this description, he was on his way for further treatment at the hospital at the time of the interview]. The main reason I was tortured so badly was because I am from Buhera and that is where our president [Morgan Tsvangirai] is also from. There was one guy among the attackers who is from the same rural home as me and recognised me so I couldn’t deny it. After they had finished with me, it must have been around 3:00 am, they began on the third guy, Masumba. But he became possessed and was speaking in tongues. This saved him because they were scared of that and they stopped. He was only beaten and not burnt. The fourth guy who was with us had escaped at the scene. We were then told that the boss, Biggie Chitoro, would come back in the morning and his mission was to take off one of our eyes. I anticipated greater danger and I planned to escape. I told them I had diarrhoea and I was taken to the bush and back very often, every five minutes. It was not true, I just aiming for them to give me an old man to escort me who could not catch me. Fortunately, around 4:00 am, they gave me an old man who was even afraid to go in the bush. I was making sounds as if I had diarrhoea, but I was removing the rope around my legs. When I got it off, I ran away. I only heard the old man shouting to the gang that I had escaped. They left four people guarding my colleagues and they started pursuing me. I managed by all means not to be captured. I went onto the mountain. I was there from about 6:00 am. I spent the whole day there and found nothing to eat. I was hungry and my legs had thorns in them. I was completely naked. Around 4:00 pm I decided to get onto the road and stop a vehicle. I did so but with difficulties. I had made crutches out of sticks. A car stopped and picked me up and took me to Mberengwa. He refused to take me to the police for fear of victimisation. But when we were a short distance from the police I saw my friends and stopped to pick them up. They had been released because of that boy who was possessed. When we got to the police we filled in 8