ZIMBABWE: PRESIDENT ROBERT MUGABE CONTINUES WITH ELECTION CAMPAIGN AMIDST REPORTS THAT MDC SUPPORTERS HAVE HAD THEIR HOUSES ATTACKED
Record ID:
442983
ZIMBABWE: PRESIDENT ROBERT MUGABE CONTINUES WITH ELECTION CAMPAIGN AMIDST REPORTS THAT MDC SUPPORTERS HAVE HAD THEIR HOUSES ATTACKED
- Title: ZIMBABWE: PRESIDENT ROBERT MUGABE CONTINUES WITH ELECTION CAMPAIGN AMIDST REPORTS THAT MDC SUPPORTERS HAVE HAD THEIR HOUSES ATTACKED
- Date: 1st March 2002
- Summary: (W7) HARARE, ZIMBABWE (FEBRUARY 27, 2002) (REUTERS) 1. MV MEMBERS OF COMMONWEALTH OBSERVER MISSION PREPARING TO LEAVE HOTEL (2 SHOTS) 0.12 2. (SOUNDBITE) (English) HEAD OF THE COMMONWEALTH OBSERVER MISSION, ABDUSALAMI ABUBAKER SAYING "We are now deploying them to go and conclude to observe, the political campaign and the rallies, which will form the basis of our report." 0.22 3. SCU MAPS OF AREA IN BAG 0.24 4. (SOUNDBITE) (English) ABDUSALAMI ABUBAKER SAYING "So far we have been witnessing what is going on and we are taking notes." 0.29 5. SCU OBSERVER LISTENING; MV ABUBAKER SHAKING HANDS WITH SEVERAL OBSERVERS; SCU COMMONWEALTH EMBLEM ON CAR; MV/TS CARS WITH OBSERVERS DRIVING OFF (5 SHOTS) 0.48 (W7) TSHITUNGWIZA TOWNSHIP, ZIMBABWE (FEBRUARY 27, 2002) (REUTERS) 6. MV MOVEMENT FOR DEMOCRATIC CHANGE (MDC) LEADER MORGAN TSVANGIRAI VISITING A HOUSE BELONGING TO AN MDC MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT, WHO WAS ATTACKED ON TUESDAY NIGHT (FEBRUARY 26) 7. MV TSVANGIRAI GREETING PEOPLE; WIDE OF ONLOOKERS; MV WOMAN EXPLAINING TO TSVANGIRAI ABOUT WHAT HAD HAPPENED (5 SHOTS) 1.04 8. (SOUNBITE) (English) MDC MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT TAFADZWA MUSEKWA, HOUSE OWNER SAYING "Around am, that is when I started to hear, the stones raining from all directions and when I came out of my house after about five minutes, I saw a group of about 100 running away from here." 1.19 9. (SOUNDBITE) (English) MORGAN TSVANGIRAI SAYING "When we talk about violence, we talk about state sponsored violence. There's is no doubt that this is coming from the states with all their bases of militias around the country." 1.29 10. MV TSVANGIRAI LEAVING HOUSE ESCORTED BY PARTY SUPPORTERS; MV WOMEN GIVING THE MDC HAND SIGNS (3 SHOTS) 1.43 (W7) MOUNT DARWIN, ZIMBABWE (FEBRUARY 27, 2002) (REUTERS) 11. SLV PRESIDENTIAL HELICOPTER ARRIVING FOR THE RALLY; SLV CROWD; MV ZIMBABWE PRESIDENT ROBERT MUGABE COMING DOWN THE STEPS OF THE HELICOPTER; MV MUGABE SHAKING HANDS WITH PEOPLE; MV MUGABE DANCING (6 SHOTS) 2.13 12. SLV MUGABE AND HIS WIFE ON THE PODIUM; WIDE OF DANCERS 2.19 13. (SOUNDBITE) (English) PRESIDENT ROBERT MUGABE ADDRESSING CROWD SAYING "We must defend the people, defend ourselves and defend the party. Imondi (terrorists), from Tsvangirai down to the Tsostis (thugs), they are all a bunch of murderous characters." 2.40 14. WIDE OF CROWD 2.46 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 16th March 2002 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: HARARE, TSHITUNGWIZA TOWNSHIP, MOUNT DARWIN, ZIMBABWE
- Country: Zimbabwe
- Reuters ID: LVA85WUW8G3F3MWEXHN518T34HAZ
- Story Text: Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe has continued with
his election campaign amidst overnight reports by MDC leaders
that some of their supporters had their houses attacked.
The alleged attacks happened on the eve of the
Commonwealth Observer group deployment to various regions
within Zimbabwe.
President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe continued on
Wednesday (February 27, 2002) with his election campaign. He
launched scatting attacks on the opposition party (MDC)
Movement for Democratic Change.
The rally was attended by hundreds of ZANU-PF supporters,
who were singing and dancing to revolutionary party slogans.
The MDC hopes to turn public anger over a crumbling
economy, now in its fourth straight year of recession, and
severe food shortages into victory at the polls.
Mugabe campaigned in Zimbabwe's far north on Wednesday,
hoping to harness the rural vote, which many analysts say
could be the key to extending his rule for a further six
years.
His programme to redistribute farmland from the dwindling
white minority to landless blacks has gone down well with some
rural voters, despite international condemnation of the
violence and shortage of compensation for farmers that has
gone with it.
The MDC accused Mugabe of stepping up a campaign of
violence and intimidation but said it would not deter voters
fed up with severe food shortages and a collapsing economy.
Polls show that many people are reluctant to say how they plan
to vote.
An MDC spokesman said Tsvangirai was detained after what
police said was an illegal gathering with nine MDC members. A
police spokesman said he was not aware of the incident.
Under a security bill passed by parliament in January,
Zimbabweans need police permission to organise public protests
and gatherings. The MDC says dozens of opposition rallies have
been banned or disrupted by police since January.
After the encounter with police, Tsvangirai visited the
home of an MDC member of parliament that was attacked
overnight by suspected youth brigades from Mugabe's ruling
ZANU-PF party.
The attackers hurled stones at Tafadzwa Musekiwa's home in
Chitungwiza, 20 km (12 miles) south of Harare, smashing
several windows. Musekiwa and his family were not injured.
The United States and Britain accused Mugabe, in power
since Zimbabwe's independence from Britain in 1980, of trying
to fix the election.
The Commonwealth Observer Mission deployed more of its
observers to various regions around Zimbabwe amidst reports of
violence against MDC supporters by youth alleged to be members
of the ruling ZANU-PF party.
Canada edged away from the idea of immediate Commonwealth
sanctions against Zimbabwe on Monday (February 25), but warned
it could envisage Zimbabwe's eventual suspension from the
group of 54 mainly British former colonies if the elections
were not fair.
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