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Zimbabwe: Govt Finally Admits Attacks On Opposition
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The Nation (Nairobi)
30 April 2008
Posted to the web 30 April 2008
Kitsepile Nyathi and Agencies
Harare
The Zimbabwe government today said soldiers had killed an opposition supporter and wounded two others following skirmishes near a military training camp.
Meanwhile, verification of Zimbabwe's disputed presidential election results is to start on Thursday, more than a month after the vote to decide whether President Robert Mugabe remains in power.
State radio said the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission had invited presidential candidates to verify the results of the presidential vote from May 1.
"All candidates who participated in the 2008 presidential election or their chief election agents are urged to attend as this exercise will pave way for the announcement of the result of the presidential election," state radio said in a notice from the commission.
The wait for the March 29 election result has led to a tense standoff and drawn opposition accusations that Mugabe is trying to rig the outcome and has launched a campaign of violence and intimidation.
Mugabe's critics and political analysts say that if he wins, it would deepen the economic crisis in the once prosperous country.
Today's was the first official admission by President Mugabe's government that the security forces were involved in the post election violence rocking the country.
The Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), which seized control of the country's 210 member parliament, says 15 of its supporters have been killed since the elections by Zanu PF militias and security forces. But, in a statement carried by the state media, Mr Mugabe's spokesman, Mr George Charamba sought to shift the blame for the attacks to the victims saying they provoked the soldiers.
On Sunday, the MDC said an activist was shot dead and seven others injured in the Manicaland province after soldiers and war veterans opened fire on them as they demanded the release of their colleagues whom the soldiers had allegedly abducted and tortured.
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"MDC supporters sought to attack soldiers on training around Chiwetu Rest Camp in Rusape leading to the death of one person and injury of two others is a case in point," Mr Charamba said.
He spoke as police released 29 of the 215 MDC supporters who were arrested last Friday at the party's headquarters in Harare after reportedly fleeing politically motivated violence.
A High Court judge on Monday ordered the police to release the MDC supporters or bring them to court within 24 hours. But the police said they were not aware of the court order.
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