By Own Correspondent
MASVINGO – Women and youths, mostly in rural communities particularly Gutu, confided to TellZim that they are living in fear due to escalation of political violence ahead of by-elections to be held on November 11, 2023 and December 09, 2023 respectively.
The November 11 by-election came into effect following the death of another candidate during the run up to the August 23 general elections, whilst the December 09 by-elections are as a result of recalls of opposition Citizens Coalition for Change’s (CCC) Sengezo Tshabangu, who claims to be the party’s interim secretary general.
In terms of Section 50 of the Zimbabwe Electoral Act (Chapter 2:13), Christopher Mutonhori Rwodzi, who was an independent candidate for Gutu West Constituency, died before the commencement of polls, and accordingly, the election for the constituency was terminated.
Incidences of political violence against young women and youths have since been reported in Gutu West, while online violence and hate speech is said to be rampant in Masvingo West’s Ward 2 where four candidates are battling it out to replace the recalled Shantiel Chiwara.
Technically, CCC has fielded three candidates – Chiwara, Roki Kamuzonda and Frank Chirairo who opted to file as independent candidate after he was frustrated by his party which, unjustly, denied him opportunity to contest at the general elections. The fourth candidate is Benson Hwata of Zanu PF.
In Gutu West, cases of political violence targeting youths and women are on the increase with the latest having occurred at Chiriga Business Centre where six people were left for dead on November 08.
No arrests have since been made so far. Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) national spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi once said while addressing the media that the delays in the arrests are sometimes because the said victims would not have reported the cases to the police or investigations will be still on-going.
“As the ZRP, we are committed to swiftly deal with any case reported. However, most of the cases involving political violence would have not been reported to the police. So I want to urge members of the public to swiftly report their cases to the police instead of just sharing their stories on social media,” said Asst. Comm. Nyathi.
In Gutu West, a helpless woman Loveness Gwatidzo was beaten up by allegedly Zanu PF supporters and she is currently admitted at Gutu Mission Hospital where she is battling for life amid reports that she suffered spinal cord injuries.
Whilst Zanu PF has distanced itself from the political violence, the CCC candidate Morudu confirmed the incident and said other several injured people were afraid to go to hospital because the security agents, who are also being accused of terrorising opposition members, may follow them there.
“Some of the people who got injured have not gone to the hospital as they are afraid of being followed by security agents in hospital. Gwatidzo has since been admitted at the hospital because she is said to have sustained spinal cord injuries,” said Morudu.
One of the political violence victims Tapiwa Chiro said the Zanu PF supporters unselectively started beating up people at the business centre.
“There were about eight people in the shop who were doing stock take; and we heard a hard knock on the door before it was kicked open. They started beating everyone including my wife. I also received a thourough beating before I escaped to the other room and subsequently into the nearby bush. My wife is currently admitted at the hospital. I still don’t know the reason why we were beaten,” said Chiro.
Despite them correctly identifying some of the perpetrators, no arrests have been made so far.
“We managed to identify one Zanu PF member (name supplied) and his brother and we reported the case to the police but no arrests so far,” said Chiro.
Other victims were identified as Brian Sithole, Privilege Goremushandu, Ephraim Tavarwisa and Sydney Mashiri have reported the matter to the police at Chatsworths.
There have been series of political violence cases were reported in Gutu and other parts of the Zimbabwe during the run up to the August 23 elections and now as the nation prepares for the pending by-elections.