Political Violence, Intimidation Continue in Zimbabwe

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23 July 2008

Although Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe's ZANU-PF party has agreed totalks with the opposition Movement for Democratic Change on a possiblepower sharing arrangement, the country's political violence andintimidation continue. Peta Thornycroft reports ZANU-PF militia arestill patrolling vast parts of the country.

Several legislators,who have returned to Harare from hiding places in Zimbabwe and inneighboring countries, say the mood in the country is tense.

Theysay they dare not go to their homes for fear of being arrested. About20 winning MDC legislators have been arrested since the elections inMarch.

One legislator from the eastern Manicaland Province, whospent three weeks in detention recently and asked not to be identified,said members of the ZANU-PF militia are asking for money from peoplewho fled during post-election violence and now want to return home. Hesaid those who have returned have found their assets, such as food andlivestock, were taken after the elections.

A parliament memberfrom the Mashonaland East Province, a ZANU-PF stronghold where manyvoted for the first time for the MDC - said militias still controlpeople's movements in and out of villages.

An MDC legislator in Mutare, Pishai Muchauraya, said his officials are searching for many people listed as missing.

MDCbranch chairman Reuben Mutewe, 38, from Manicaland Province, who wasabducted from his home June 30, was found in the mortuary at the MutareGeneral Hospital last Friday.

Muchauraya says they have stillnot found the body of activist Emmanuel Nyapfungwe, who he says wasallegedly murdered June 20 in Manicaland Province.

Meanwhile,farm invasions continue, particularly in the Manicaland province wheresix white families and their workers were forced to abandon their homeslast week.

The agreement signed by ZANU-PF and MDC says the violence is to be discussed during their talks in South Africa.

Anotherpoint for negotiations is the resumption of humanitarian aid, bannedJune 4 by one of ZANU-PF's two negotiators, Welfare Minister NicholasGoche.

The government has started to sell food aid to those inneed at bargain prices. But the Combined Harare Residents' Associationsaid only ZANU-PF members are being given access. The association saidmany Harare residents are at the point of starvation.