Zanu PF Intimidation ahead of election re-emerges?

Reports starting to show up in the Zimbabwe news media, as below

MBARE’s renowned terror groups linked to Zanu PF have re-emerged with reports of harassment of residents ahead of make-or-break general elections expected in the second half of 2018.

BY Phyllis Mbanje

There are reports of violent door-to-door campaigns by hordes of rogue Zanu PF mobs with residents expressing concern at the wanton disregard for human liberties.

Meetings, rallies and late night vigils have begun amid reports that some overzealous party youths were now forcing people to attend and participate in the meetings.

A Mbare resident said the youths were now walking from house to house demanding that people attend their rallies which are designed to ensure that Zanu PF leader President Robert Mugabe retains his post in next year’s elections.

“The youths are moving from door to door recording people’s names and ID numbers. As a citizen, I feel that this is against an individual’s freedom of association,” the resident, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals, said.

Residents were scared of violent follow-ups if they do not attend the meetings.

Another one argued Zanu PF’s harassment of residents was not synonymous with that democratic ethos that Mugabe has consistently preached.

But contacted for comment, Zanu PF youth league Harare provincial chairperson Edson Takataka dismissed the allegations.

“As a party, we call for meetings at our offices and no one is forced to come,” he said.

Takataka said it was actually MDC-T youths who were conducting the door-to-door campaigns.

“We are not conducting any door-to-door campaigns. The MDC youths are the ones causing confusion,” he said.
Takataka claimed that Zanu PF had no need to use coercion for people to attend its events.

Mbare remains a hotbed of Zanu PF terror groups with the biggest then known as Chipangano having been disbanded following the internal convulsions that rocked the ruling party in 2014.

Prior to the 2013 elections Zanu PF set up militia groups to force residents to vote for Mugabe and his party candidates across the country.