Our MDC youth leader, Shingi Nheweyembwa shouted “Boys get
down!” when he saw the passenger in the car pulling out a gun and
preparing to fire. I was slow to go down and was shot in the head with
a gun. Immediately after being shot I fainted. I do not what happened
to me—I have no recollection of events that followed. I understand
police officers manning a traffic roadblock about 200 meters from
where the incident occurred came to our assistance. I do not know the
person who shot me, but l know the driver of the vehicle. I was
fortunate in that the bullet grazed the back of my head but did not
affect the skull, leaving only an open wound on my head.51
In another incident in Makoni-West, Manicaland, armed “war veterans” opened fire
and shot at a group of MDC supporters, injuring three. One of the female supporters,
Tabeth Marume, subsequently died from her wounds. The “war veterans” had set up
a makeshift base at Chiwetu Rest Camp from which they abducted, beat and tortured
known MDC supporters. On April 23 the war veterans abducted 12 MDC members
and took them to the camp where they were beaten. In response, 22 other MDC
supporters including Marume went to the camp to negotiate the release of their
colleagues.52
One of the MDC supporters told Human Rights Watch what took place when they got
to the camp:
When we got to the base, we were confronted by more than 50 war
veterans and ZANU-PF youths, 12 “war veterans” had guns, AK-47 guns
[military assault rifles]. They ordered us to sit down. We refused and
said we had come to seek the release of our colleagues. I went into a
room where our colleagues were being beaten, with hands tied at the
back, lying facing the ground, l only managed to untie one colleague
when the “war veterans” fired into the air. Most of my colleagues
began to run away, some escaped. The second round of fire was
51
Human Rights Watch interview with 33-year-old man, Harare, April 18, 2008.
52
Human Rights Watch interviews with three MDC activists, Mutare, Manicaland, April 28, 2008.
27
Human Rights Watch 2008
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