Villagers in Magunje village in Hurungwe are being forced to abandon their homesteads for fear of being attacked and their homes set on fire during the election season.
With eight weeks until Zimbabwe's 2023 general elections, reports are on the rise of widespread violence and intimidation committed by supporters of the ruling party, Zanu-PF.
Members of the opposition claim members of Forever Associates Zimbabwe (FAZ), a Zanu-PF-affiliated organisation, are using violence and intimidation to urge villagers to support the ruling party.
Scores of civilians have been forced to flee their homes and seek shelter in safe houses to protect their families.
David Kashonga, a resident of Magunje, told Scrolla.Africa that he has sent his family away, fearing for their lives after they were threatened by FAZ supporters.
"We are not free in this area. We are being intimidated by FAZ members. They are telling us that if we don't vote for the ruling party, we risk putting our lives in danger," he said.
"So, I took my three children out of school and relocated them and my wife to a safe place. I was openly told that if I influenced people to vote for change, then they would burn my homestead."
Kashonga said that he stayed behind to tend to his tobacco seedlings as he was preparing for the 2024 planting season. He now sleeps at a friend's home.
Another villager, Alice Kashiri, said she is considering finding somewhere safe where she can stay with her family.
"These FAZ members are ungovernable. I am scared they will bring terror to our village," she said.
The leader of Magunje village, Clopas Karengesha, said that he had heard reports of villagers being intimated.
"I don't know how true it is. I just heard that there are thugs threatening villagers, especially those who belong to opposition parties. But people are scared to name these perpetrators," he said.
FAZ is a secret, shadowy unit frantically campaigning for Zanu-PF in the upcoming polls. It has branches across the country.
In one video that has surfaced on social media, a group of elderly people are flogged for wearing opposition regalia.
Zanu-PF spokesperson Chris Mutsvangwa said: "I was out of the country for the past three months, so I am not aware of anything pertaining to FAZ intimidating citizens."
