Harare : President Robert Mugabe branded opposition supporters as traitors in comments broadcast repeatedly on state radio yesterday, raising fears of new political violence two days before parliamentary elections.
"All those who will vote for the (Movement for Democratic Change) are traitors," the radio quoted Mugabe as saying to a ruling ZANU-PF party rally Monday at Mutoko, 140 kilometres northeast of Harare.
Similar comments by the president in the past have encouraged the ruling party and its youth militia to take violent action against opposition supporters and candidates.
MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai did not respond to the comments during a brief speech yesterday to several thousand supporters gathered in a field at Buhera village, in his home region about 200 kilometres south of Harare.
Mugabe's comments came in the wake of a call by Roman Catholic Archbishop Pius Ncube of Bulawayo on Sunday for a "nonviolent mass popular uprising" if the ruling party wins the election by fraud.
In a telephone interview from Bulawayo yesterday, Ncube said Mugabe's "traitor" comments revived ominous memories of moves against suspected opposition voters after previous elections.
In 1985, tens of thousands of black families were evicted from their homes into midwinter cold until they could produce ruling party cards. That year, Mugabe told victorious supporters: "Now take your sticks and beat out the snakes among you."
Parliamentary elections in 2000 and presidential elections in 2002 were marred by widespread state-sanctioned political violence and intimidation, according to Western observers.
"It may be quiet now, but we are not sure what will happen after these elections," Ncube said. "They (ZANU-PF) might go around punishing people and beating them up they are very violent. You are dealing with people who bullied everyone into silence in the past."
Ncube said he has been followed and all his telephones are tapped.
Reginald Matshaba-Hove, director of Zimbabwe's independent Electoral Support Network, said he was concerned about Mugabe's comment and had asked foreign observers to stay in the country for at least a week after the polls because of fears of renewed violence.
Ncube said he believes voter intimidation, including threats to withhold food aid to opposition supporters, and rigging of the polls, will ensure the appearance of victory for ZANU-PF.
Zimbabwe was plunged into political and economic chaos when the government began seizing white owned farms for redistribution to black Zimbabweans in 2000 in an often violent campaign to redress colonial-era imbalances.
kuki1234 · Wed Mar 30, 2005 @ 04:51pm · 0 Comments |