ZIMBABWE: HUNDREDS OF YOUTHS ALLEGED TO BE MEMBERS OF RULING ZANU-PF PARTY REPORTEDLY ATTACK MDC SUPPORTERS ON WAY TO MDC RALLY

Record ID: 648849

  • Title: ZIMBABWE: HUNDREDS OF YOUTHS ALLEGED TO BE MEMBERS OF RULING ZANU-PF PARTY REPORTEDLY ATTACK MDC SUPPORTERS ON WAY TO MDC RALLY
  • Date: 2nd March 2002
  • Summary: (W5) MARONDERA, ZIMBABWE (MARCH 1, 2002) (REUTERS) 1. AV BALLOON OVER RALLY SITE, READING "MORGAN FOR PRESIDENT" (2 SHOTS) 0.07 2. SLV MOVEMENT FOR DEMOCRATIC CHANGE (MDC) SUPPORTERS ARRVING AT RALLY SITE 0.11 3. SLV SOLDIERS AND POLICE ARRIVING AT SITE (3 SHOTS) 0.22 4. SLV MORE SUPPORTERS ARRIVING; MV POLICE, SUPPORTERS AND STEWARDS AT SITE; MV MDC SUPPORTER WEARING A PARTY FLAG; MV ZANU-PF SUPPORTERS (5 SHOTS) 0.36 5. MV SADC OBSERVERS ARRIVING; MV MDC SUPPORTERS DANCING; MV POLICE WATCHING; MV OBSERVERS TALKING AMONGST THEMSEVES; MV MDC SUPPORTERS CHANTING; WIDE SHOT OF THE CROWD (6 SHOTS) 1.06 6. (SOUNDBITE) (English) ISAAC MATHONGO NATIONAL CHAIRMAN MDC SAYING "We seem to have a problem here at Marondera. As you go along this road you can see the papers are being burned by the Zanu-PF supporters as you go along this road and we found out it will be very very dangerous and very careless bringing our president here, it would be very dangerous to do that and we are cancelling this rally and we are going to meet some of you in Bulawayo tomorrow. You can definitely witness that the tension here is very very tense indeed." 1.49 7. SLV PEOPLE LOOKING ON 1.51 8. (SOUNDBITE) (English) ISAAC MATHONGO SAYING "If you go to Thombothombo there are Zanu-PF trucks going up and down intimidating people not to come to this meeting." 2.02 9. SLV REPORTERS AROUND MATHONGO 2.04 10. (SOUNDBITE) (English) ISAAC MATHONGO SAYING "Why should we bring our people to risk when they are going out to vote next week. Let me tell you this rally is not going to change anybodies opinion at this last minute. People have already known that they are going to vote for who and why." 2.20 11. SLV PEOPLE LEAVING RALLY (2 SHOTS) 2.29 12. (SOUNDBITE) (English) MORGAN TSVANGIRAI, LEADER OF MDC "Our chairman was there and he gave me the advice that it was not feasible to hold a rally. There were more policemen on the ground who were intimidating the people who had ventured to come to the rally ground." 2.47 13. (SOUNDBITE) (English) MORGAN TSVANGIRAI SAYING: "The MDC rallies have always been based on volunteer, on free expression to attend them. You don't necessarily assess your support by a rally expecially when people are being frogmarched to it. But that's what they want to demonstrate, look at our rallies, we have filled more rallies and therefore we have more support and that is why the MDC is not having a rally and they are cancelling rallies because they don't have support, which is quite false, really. 3.17 (W5) BORROWDALE, ZIMBABWE (MARCH 1, 2002) (REUTERS) 14. SLV EXTERIOR BORROWDALE HOSPITAL; MV INTERIOR INJURED PATIENT IN BED (2 SHOTS) 3.23 15. (SOUNDBITE) (English) PATIENT SAYING "We were beaten by Zanu-PF youths, the reason being we were supporting the opposition, MDC." 3.33 16. (SOUNDBITE) (English) PATIENT SAYING "We were assaulted with sticks and handcuffs and they took my i.d., my three thousand five hundred dollars, my keys and my sunglasses and they beat us until we were unconscious." 3.50 17. TRACKING SHOT MDC SUPPORTERS IN BACK OF TRUCKS 3.56 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 17th March 2002 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: MARONDERA AND BORRADALE, ZIMBABWE
  • Country: Zimbabwe
  • Reuters ID: LVACMWWWQSARJK1BQNPS4VN93NOP
  • Story Text: Hundreds of youths alleged to be members of the ruling
    Zanu-PF party have reportedly attacked MDC supporters while
    they were on their way to a Movement for Democratic Change
    (MDC}rally in Marondera township.

    An unspecified number of Zimbabwe's main opposition
    party were assaulted on Friday (March 1) as they were on their
    way to attend a party election rally in Marondera, scheduled
    to be addressed by the MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai.

    "If you go to Thombothombo there are Zanu-PF trucks going
    up and down intimidating people not to come to this meeting,"
    said Isaac Mathongo National Chairman of the MDC.

    "We seem to have a problem here at Marondera. As you go
    along this road you can see the papers are being burned by the
    Zanu-PF supporters as you go along this road and we found out
    it will be very very dangerous and very careless bringing our
    president here, it would be very dangerous to do that and we
    are cancelling this rally...you can definitely witness that
    the tension here is very very tense indeed," Mathongo said.

    A week before a presidential election that domestic and
    foreign critics accuse President Robert Mugabe of trying to
    win by intimidation, his government did say it would respect a
    court ruling that overturned a law barring many Zimbabweans
    from voting.

    The veteran president also told a senior delegation from
    regional power South Africa that his main rival had not been
    charged with treason, contrary to earlier police statements.

    MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai, who poses the stiffest
    challenge to Mugabe's 22-year rule, has accused the government
    of waging a campaign of intimidation to win the elections.

    Tsvangirai suggested Zanu-PF rallies were padded out by
    people pressured to attend them.

    "The MDC rallies have always been based on volunteer, on
    free expression to attend them. You don't necessarily assess
    your support by a rally expecially when people are being
    frogmarched to it," he told Reuters.

    Two MDC supporters in Borrowdale hospital said they had
    been attacked by Zanu-PF youths
    "We were assaulted with sticks and handcuffs and they
    took my i.d., my 3,500 dollars, my keys and my sunglasses and
    they beat us until we were unconscious," said one.

    "We were beaten by Zanu-PF youths, the reason being we
    were supporting the opposition, MDC," said another from his
    hospital bed.

    The EU and United States imposed targeted sanctions after
    the expulsion of election observer mission leader Pierre
    Schori and the withdrawal of the EU team.

    Former colonial ruler Britain, which has accused Mugabe of
    trying to fix the March 9-10 election, hopes to persuade other
    Commonwealth countries to impose sanctions on Zimbabwe when
    their leaders meet in Australia this weekend.

    The deteriorating situation in Zimbabwe is expected to
    dominate a Commonwealth summit, which meets near Brisbane from
    Saturday. Mugabe, 78, is not expected to attend.


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