MDC: 'Zimbabwe opposition supporters victimised'

Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe’s ruling Zanu-PF party has intensified acts of post-election violence and intimidation against opposition supporters, according to the opposition Movement for Democratic Change.

In a statement released on Tuesday, the party said opposition supporters and polling agents in rural areas have been the victims of arson and looting, chased from their homes and some forced to relocate.

“ZANU-PF acts of retribution in the rural areas are only being carried out because the party knows it lost the rural vote, hence the need to cow down the electorate and instil fear in the people ahead of future elections,” the MDC said in its statement.

ZANU-PF claimed 78 of the 120 elected seats in the March 31 parliamentary elections.

The MDC won 41 and President Robert Mugabe nominates 30 others, which guarantees him the two-thirds majority required to amend the constitution at will.

The ruling party has not responded to the latest MDC allegations.

However, police spokesman Wayne Bvudzijena said they planned to bring charges against human rights campaigner Lovemore Madhuku, chairman of the National Constitutional Assembly, a pro-reform umbrella group of lobbyists.

Bvudzijena said Maduku, a university law professor, will be charged under laws making it illegal to make false statements prejudicial to the state because he refused to give police the names of witnesses quoted in a report he distributed saying journalists and embassies would become targets of violence during the election.

The report also alleged uniformed forces and youth militia terrorised rural constituencies, making unlawful arrests and perpetrating sexual assaults.

The MDC alleges it won up to 94 of the elected constituencies but was deprived of victory by rigging.

It has lodged 14 petitions against results with Zimbabwe’s high courts, which it says are a “token” protest after prolonged legal appeals failed to dislodge any ruling party legislators in the wake of the last June 2000 elections.