Mugabe regime unleashes state terror campaign in Zimbabwe

by Mikelti | April 20, 2008 at 05:38 am | 681 views | 15 comments | 22 recommendations

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JOHANNESBURG (ZA) - Robert Mugabe has ordered his Zimbabwe African National Union - Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF) party to initiate coordinated post-election violence to eliminate perceived supporters of the opposition victory in Zimbabwe. The latest reports coming from within Zimbabwe are that Mugabe's defeated ZANU-PF politburo have even recommended the resuscitation of Gukurahundi-style detention camps. ZANU-PF youth militia and war veterans would run a campaign of terror from these camps to violently crush the popular Movement for Democratic Change party in rural areas while also silencing any opposition support in Zimbabwe's major cities.

Four hundred opposition supporters have been detained by Mugabe's ZANU-PF regime in political violence following March 29 elections, the secretary general of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change said in Johannesburg on Sunday.

"Over 400 of our activists have been detained," secretary general Tendai Biti said at a news conference, adding that 3,000 families had been displaced and at least 500 opposition supporters had been hospitalised. With more torture on horizon in Zimbabwe, the country still suffers under the dictatorial excesses of Robert Mugabe, despite numerous warnings against his actions in the past.

A Zanu-PF representative confirmed the deployment of ruling party youths and self-styled war veterans in rural areas, but insisted that ZANU-PF cadres were being sent only to protect villagers from the "violent MDC". ZANU-PF officially denies that it is using stratified violence to wipe out MDC organisers and terrorize the rural electorate.

"It is a horrifying prospect that Mugabe could order the resuscitation of torture camps in a supposedly democratic country. These actions must be challenged, they cannot be ignored. We support the valiant efforts of the MDC and other organisations desperately fighting a daily battle for freedom against this oppressive regime" said Kathryn Llewellyn, Head of Campaigns at Action for Southern Africa.

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AlvarezGalloso

flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 05:48 on April 20th, 2008

Mikelti, I like this story. It's good stuff. I am not surprised after covering the horror and drama soap opera called Mugabe. Mugabe is a clear danger and the fact that Mugabe is establishing concentration camps is one of them. The fact that there was a shipment of arms for Zimbabwe means that Mugabe has declared war on the nation of Zimbabwe. Tendai Biti: Secretary General of the MDC has just announced in the BBC that "Zimbabwe Is In A State of War"

REFERENCE:

BBC News: "MDC claims Zimbabwe Is At War"

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/7357369.stm

Mikelti

at 06:07 on April 20th, 2008

Thanks Alvarez. It is descending into a war-like situation, that's for sure. The problem with the MDC describing it as a war is it infers two armed combatants, in this case Zimbabwe may be at war with itself, but it is more likely that the Zimbabwean people are under attack from their ruler, since Comrade Mugabe has declared a 'terrorist war' on them for voting against him. He's a very democratic guy all in all, for a Chinese/North Korean backed guerrilla that is.

jordan

flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 05:55 on April 20th, 2008

Mikelti, I like this story. It's good stuff- the story, not the situation! What's the source of the quotes?

AlvarezGalloso

at 08:35 on April 20th, 2008

Here are the partial election recount results taken from the E Magazine: Zimbabwe Situation:

PARTIAL RESULTS

Bikita West
MDC -Tsvangirai 7048
ZANU PF 7029

Mutare West
MDC -Tsvangirai 7597
ZANU PF 7577

Bulilima East
MDC 3180
ZANU PF 3104

Gokwe-Kabuyuni
MDC -Tsvangirai 7234
ZANU PF 7156

Masvingo Central
MDC -Tsvangirai 4905
ZANU PF 4793

Goromonzi West
ZANU PF 6193
MDC -Tsvangirai 5931

Zhombe
MDC -Tsvangirai 5445
ZANU PF 5122

Masvingo West
MDC -Tsvangirai 4513
ZANU PF 4122

Silobela
MDC -Tsvangirai 4624
ZANU PF 4137

Gutu North
MDC -Tsvangirai 5045
ZANU PF 4343

Zaka West
MDC -Tsvangirai 4734
ZANU PF 4030

Buhera South
MDC -Tsvangirai 8833
ZANU PF 7613

Chimanimani West
MDC -Tsvangirai 8558
ZANU PF 7107

Gutu Central
MDC -Tsvangirai 6398
ZANU PF 4767

Bikita South
MDC -Tsvangirai 6916
ZANU PF 5284

Lupane East
2056 MDC -Tsvangirai
ZANU PF 3368

Gutu South
MDC -Tsvangirai 5757
ZANU PF 3559

Mberengwa West

ZANU PF 5508
MDC -Tsvangirai 2912

Zvimba North
ZANU PF 6784

Mberengwa East
ZANU PF 7292
MDC -Tsvangirai 1251

Mberengwa South
ZANU PF 8291
MDC -Tsvangirai 1309

Mberengwa North
ZANU PF 9722
MDC -Tsvangirai 2352

Chiredzi North
ZANU PF 18413
MDC -Tsvangirai 2679

REFERENCE:
http://www.zimbabwesituation.com/apr20b_2008.html

jordan

at 08:45 on April 20th, 2008

Great addition- thanks.

Barry Artiste

flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 09:40 on April 20th, 2008

Mikelti, I like this story. It's good stuff. Excellent coverage, it will be interesting to see how he handles his war, especially woth Media reports that shipments of arms from China are delayed off the African coast or stopped by other African countries.

AlvarezGalloso

at 12:45 on April 20th, 2008

Thanks Jordan and Barry Artiste. Actually the Chinese Ship An Yie Jiang was docked off the coast of Durban, South Africa. The South African Labour Union that dealt with docking refused to unlaod the cargo. The ship headed towards Maputo, Mozambique. I have written extensively about this.

AlvarezGalloso

at 13:37 on April 20th, 2008

According to CNN, the An Yie Jiang is heading towards Angola.

AlvarezGalloso

at 14:51 on April 20th, 2008

South Africa has threatened to arrest the crew of the Chinese Boat An Yie Jiang if it lands in South African Ports. It has been reported in the Zimbabwe Situation that the An Yie Jiang is running out of fuel and that it was registered as a casualty by Lloyds Vessel Casualty

REFERENCE:

http://www.zimbabwesituation.com/apr21_2008.html

Barry Artiste

at 15:16 on April 20th, 2008

Ya know if you fail to plan, you can guarantee your plan will fail. Must be the boat has a Chinese Made Fuel Gauge, which shows everything "A-OK Joe". Guess, "General Kung Poa Spicy Chicken", and his Crew will be wondering how to man the oars on that tug, as I hear Shark infested waters are common along those jagged reefs, just a waitin for a boat like theirs. Mealtime !!, but you just know those Sharks will just get hungry an hour later.

Adamastor

flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 00:06 on April 21st, 2008

Mikelti, I like this story. It's good stuff.

Thanks Mikelti. There are more and more reports streaming in. I suspect the numbers of those being tortured and beaten are much higher. Many can not contact family or friends living there.

Mikelti

at 13:00 on April 21st, 2008

More evidence of the work of Mugabe's Zanu PF youth militias as they tyrannize the poorer rural areas of Zimbabwe, where votes for the MDC were highest. These sickening visuals are of documented victims of Robert Mugabe's current 'Operation Mavhoterapapi' which is being conducted countrywide.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/sokwanele/sets/72157600853440301/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/sokwanele/