Harassment and intimidation ahead of election

The right to freedom of expression, association and assembly are being unnecessarily restricted ahead of national elections, Amnesty International has warned.

A statement issued by the Human rights body says “Although opposition parties appear to be enjoying a greater degree of access to previously ‘no go areas’ in rural areas compared with previous elections, we continue to receive reports of intimidation, harassment and violence against perceived supporters of opposition candidates – with many in rural regions fearful that there will be retribution after the elections.” Zimbabwe goes to national polls on 29 March.

Simeon Mawanza, Amnesty International’s Zimbabwe researcher who recently returned from Zimbabwe reports that on 7 March, three members of the Morgan Tsvangirai-led faction of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) were putting up election posters in Bulawayo when they were ordered by members of the Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) to pull them down. The CIO operatives forced a male member of the group to chew the posters and swallow them. A female member of the group was then forced to chew and swallow three-quarters of a poster. The three were allowed to go when the CIO operatives had to go to a political rally.

“Police in some parts of the country are clearly putting unnecessary restrictions on the activities of the opposition party members, while allowing supporters of the ruling party total enjoyment of their rights,” said Mawanza.

Mawanza’s report further says that on or around 10 March, in Plumtree, five people operating a public address system at a rally addressed by Dr. Simba Makoni, an independent presidential candidate, were briefly detained at Plumtree police station. They were released without charge after the intervention of the candidate.

According to Amnesty International food is still being used as a political tool by ruling party functionaries in many rural areas. Perceived supporters of opposition candidates and political parties continue to be discriminated against, mostly in accessing the cheaper maize sold by the state-controlled Grain Marketing Board (GMB), which manages the country’s strategic grain reserves.