Analysts raise red flag over escalating cases of violence
THE wave of violence that has engulfed Zimbabwe of late has raised fears that the country could plunge into another political crisis that would damage its tattered image ahead of the 2023 general elections.
The escalating violence was first flagged by the Zimbabwe Peace Project (ZPP), which in its monthly monitoring report for September 2021, It’s Politricks All Over, noted that there was increased violence ahead of the Zanu PF national conference set for Bindura this month.
According to the report, so severe is the violence that senior party officials often end up intervening, with the ZPP documenting cases of intra-party confrontations within Zanu PF.
In its analysis, the ZPP said Harare province topped the list with 41 human rights violations followed by Mashonaland Central with 32 cases.
“The southern provinces, that is, Matabeleland North and South and Bulawayo recorded the lowest number of violations. These are areas where the unresolved issue of Gukurahundi continues to be an undercurrent cause of fear among the citizens,” the ZPP report said.
“ZPP recorded 110 cases of harassment and intimidation largely attributed to the Zimbabwe Republic Police and Zanu PF. The ZRP, which has been put in charge of maintaining the Covid-19 regulations, has done so with little regard for citizens’ rights, and that also explains the six cases of unlawful detention.”
In its national outlook, the ZPP said September witnessed an increase in political activity both by the opposition MDC Alliance (MDC-A) and ruling Zanu PF. The analysis further reports that the percentage of women victims of human rights violations increased to 48,15% from 47,15% in August.
“In most cases, Zanu PF got its way and the main opposition MDC Alliance, whose operating space has been grossly constricted, also managed to gather its supporters in some rural areas and in some instances, the party had to conduct activities at night.”
The violence targeting the MDC-A and its leadership reared its ugly head this week when its leader Nelson Chamisa was reportedly teargased at a private residence in the City of Masvingo.
Suspected Zanu PF supporters also attacked Chamisa’s convoy three times injuring his aides and security who were on the way to a community interface meeting at Charumbira communal lands in Masvingo province.
University of Zimbabwe lecturer and political commentator Eldred Masunungure yesterday said chances of the violence intensifying were high as the country marches towards the 2023 general elections.
“This has become an entrenched pattern each time the country approaches watershed elections. In short, we are entering the traditional season of election-related violence,” Masunungure said. “Importantly, for the ruling party, it is strategic to deploy violence and intimidation now, well before the elections in order to soften the targeted voters and communities.”
Masunungure also predicted that Zimbabwe would see an escalation of such violence throughout 2022 and a drastic reduction as the election date nears because violence would have achieved its intended purpose.
“You also don’t want to unleash violence in the presence of international observers and monitors. When the international observers start arriving in the country, the job would have been done and they will see a country at peace with itself,” he said. “The rationale is to do violent politics now, and switch to peaceful politics on the eve of elections.”
Political analyst Rashweat Mukundu, in an interview, said it was not surprising that Zimbabwe is experiencing an increase in violence from Zanu PF as the ruling party has failed to destroy the MDC-A.
“The Zanu PF government has nothing to show for its years in power. All the promises that the government has made; on improving the economy, improving the people’s livelihoods have not been realised,” Mukundu said. “This coming election is a judgment on Zanu PF’s performance and they are seriously concerned that these failures would be exposed hence attempts at blocking the opposition from mobilising and soliciting for support from its historical power base which are the rural areas.”
He said there was nothing Zanu PF could do in the urban areas apart from repairing the roads and criticising the MDC-A for running down councils. Zanu PF had no other solution, he said, but to resort to violence and shutting off rural communities from the opposition parties.
“So this (violence) is likely to persist as we go towards the 2023 elections. We may not see many people being able to access rural areas and, essentially, rural areas being vulnerable to attacks and threats by Zanu PF,” he said. “There is potential that if this is not arrested, we could see people being killed in the next election. We need to condemn the acts of violence by Zanu PF and the security sector must be held accountable for the abuse of political power.”
Mukundu also called on Sadc to play its part in protecting Zimbabweans’ democratic space adding that the election could become very violent while further destabilising the region.
In a statement condemning the attacks on Chamisa and his aides, Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition executive director Blessing Vava said events unfolding expose the determination by Zanu PF to decimate the opposition through unorthodox means while creating an uneven playing ground ahead of the 2023 elections.
“The most worrying indicator is that President Emmerson Mnangagwa internationally plays the ‘growth and reform’ narrative whilst domestically pursuing a one-party state agenda,” Vava said. “Various Sadc recommendations on upholding peace and democracy, including those by former South African president Kgalema Motlanthe, have been ignored.”