Violence related to the constitutional outreach exercise has become so severe in Manicaland that MDC officials on the teams have resolved not to hold meetings in the affected areas.

MDC Senator Patrick Chitaka, who is part of the constitutional outreach team in Manicaland, said several MDC members have been hospitalized after attacks when they spoke out in outreach meetings. Reports have been made to the police and details provided of some of the perpetrators, but as usual there have been no investigations or arrests.

The news comes as police at Cashel Valley in Manicaland released five of the seven MDC activists who were abducted at gunpoint by Central Intelligence Organisation operatives in Chimanimani East on Monday.

A statement from the MDC on Thursday identified the five released activists as Joseph and Tinashe Chikwari, and Stanley, David and Wilson Kuretu. They had been charged with the crime of "disturbing peace" after speaking at a Copac meeting in the area, and were released after paying a $10 fine each.

The two MDC activists who are still in custody at Cashel Valley are John Jiyamwa and Matibiri Nyando. The MDC statement said that they are being denied access to food, legal services and medication. Noone has been allowed to visit them and a source within the police department said the group had been assaulted.

On Thursday MDC Senator Patrick Chitaka told SW Radio Africa that he had also just received reports that soldiers from 3 Brigade were being mobilized to be shipped to outreach meetings in Nyanga. He said that the party would not let its members be brutalized and meetings at those venues would also be cancelled.