Villagers Threatened With Eviction For Attending Meetings Organised By Opposition
Some resettled farmers in Ward 16 Bulilima West were allegedly threatened with eviction from their farms by suspected ZANU PF members after they attended meetings organised by the opposition ZAPU.
The reported intimidation comes ahead of the by-elections to be held in the district on 3 September 2022.
ZAPU has fielded two candidates in Ward 14 and Ward 16, Linos Moyo and Hitman Ncube, respectively.
The party has resolved to lodge a formal complaint of intimidation with the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) over the intimidation of villagers by suspected ZANU PF members.
In an interview with CITE, ZAPU elections coordinator for both Ward 14 and 16, Artwell Ndlovu, revealed that villagers in Ward 16 were threatened with eviction by people they know. He said:
I am on the campaign trail and just heard this message from villagers who sounded the alarm as soon as it happened.
The situation is bad because a group of people, claiming to be from Plumtree told the villagers in Village 17 in Ward 16 that if they continued attending ZAPU meetings they would be chased from where they stay.
Some of the members in the group were identified by villagers.
The villagers stay in resettlement areas and are now afraid that they would be chased away.
This group knew people had attended meetings because ZAPU is on its campaign trail and has been talking to many villagers.
Moreso, the group also threatened people in Village 29 and locals were crying that they would be targeted for harassment as they were expressing themselves.
This is a worrying situation because this group knows how local systems function.
Ward 1 aspiring candidate for CCC in Tjankwa, Bulilima West, Ephraim Moyo, also claimed he was intimidated by ZANU PF members.
More: CITE
