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Zimbabwe: Abducted MDC Candidates Missing in Epworth
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SW Radio Africa (London)
27 March 2008
Posted to the web 27 March 2008
Tererai Karimakwenda
We continue to receive reports of violence against opposition candidates and supporters, as well as abductions carried out by suspected ruling party supporters.
Just this week in the Epworth area of Harare, a council candidate from the Tsvangirai MDC was abducted from his home and is still missing. Another is in police custody, after reporting poster defacement, and a third was assaulted by police during his brief detention. All three have not been able to campaign.
Incidents involving campaign posters that are being defaced by supporters of all parties are rampant countrywide. But police are allegedly arresting opposition supporters only, even in cases where they are the victims and ZANU-PF thugs are the perpetrators.
Our Harare correspondent Simon Muchemwa reported that Daniel Tawengwa, the MDC council candidate for Epworth ward 5, was abducted from his home Monday night. Tawengwa is a bachelor who lives alone so there were no witnesses inside the house. Muchemwa said local residents saw him being bundled into a vehicle known to belong to ZANU-PF supporters in the area. His whereabouts are still not known and of course he has not been able to campaign.
Also in Epworth, the MDC council candidate for ward 4, Didymus Bande, has been in police custody since March 19. According to our correspondent Bande saw people he recognised as ruling party supporters pulling down MDC posters. He went to report this to the police and was himself arrested. Muchemwa said the ZANU-PF supporters were assisted by the Minister of Mines, Amos Midzi.
The 3rd council candidate from Epworth to be victimized this week was Jester Mutambirwa. Our correspondent said he was abducted by ZANU-PF supporters while on his way back from a rally on Sunday. They accused him of defacing Mugabe posters and took him to the local police station. Mutambirwa was detained for 5 about hours during which it is alleged the police assaulted him. He was released without charge.
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In Mbare high-density suburb of Harare, the notorious Chipangano gang has continued their attacks on opposition supporters who are distributing fliers and putting up posters. Our correspondent said they have been taking identification papers and passports from opposition supporters they find campaigning. This is a calculated move, because the victims will not be able to vote in the elections this weekend.
Nelson Chamisa, spokesperson for the Tsvangirai MDC, said this week that there was an increase in the incidents of violence against their candidates and supporters around the country. He explained that they had reported the violence to the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission but nothing is being done.
Chamisa also confirmed that the police are working with the perpetrators of violence while arresting the innocent victims who report on them. Many are released without charge after spending days, or even weeks in custody. This has prevented many of them from campaigning.
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