Political Intimidation in Zimbabwe

Publisher:
ThinkAfricaPress
Publication Date:
20 November 2012
Tags:
Zimbabwe, Governance, Human Rights

Think Africa Press has acquired a secretly filmed video that appears to expose the use of political intimidation in the Zimbabwe elections. Filmed in April 2011, the video shows ZANU-PF District Co-ordinating Committee Member for Mudzi District Newman Nyakuba addressing the issue of the upcoming Zimbabwe elections at a meeting at Ranja Base, Mudzi District.


The opening scene shows ZANU-PF youths marching into the meeting whilst singing some of the party's songs. At the meeting, Nyakuba stresses that the ZANU-PF is not supposed to come to an end, but instead to 'live long', and that people should register to vote in the upcoming election so as to protect the prolonged existence of the party. He warns that not registering is considered a crime, and that such a crime is punishable by beatings, adding, "The guys are not afraid to beat people. They can even beat a million people until they are finished".


He tells the crowd that they want the people to vote to protect their country and that after they have done so, the party will make sure that they control the rural areas. The clip ends with a commendation for youths who are said to have left the MDC and rejoined the ZANU-PF after realising that "being sellouts does not work". These are the same youths that are trained by the ZANU-PF with an intention to do national duty but are used as a tool to violently intimidate people as a way to coerce them into supporting the ruling party.

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