By Lance Guma
A group of villagers in Nyanga have approached the Nyanga Magistrates Courts, seeking the return of property seized by ZANU PF thugs in the run-up to last year's bloody one-man presidential election run-off. At the height of that campaign MDC villagers were targeted and lost cattle, goats, chickens, ploughs and food stocks harvested from the fields. With no intervention from the new coalition government to resolve these issues, the villagers are now trying to use the courts to either have their property returned, or for the suspected looters to pay compensation.
ZANU PF supporters Tichaona Kadyamusuma, Gibson Nyakuba, Chenjerai Mukoko, Martin Njanji and Loveness Nyakabobo, were fingered as the alleged master-minds of the looting. They took food from the victims to feed militias, camped in the nearby bases of Chawagonahapana and Avilla Business Centre in Ward 2 of Katerere. At the time local police in Nyanga refused to intervene and left the thugs to do as they please. MDC supporters were assaulted at the bases and told to bring food and livestock.
The Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights are assisting the villagers in their court application and similar court cases are taking place countrywide. There are reports that a Bikita court granted an order allowing 7 villagers to claim US$7 000 from ZANU PF supporters who looted their property.
Villagers in Buhera were also targeted by ZANU PF militias for being MDC supporters, and newsreel has received reports of retaliatory attacks from MDC supporters, frustrated at not being able to get their property back.
Glen Mpani, the Regional Co-ordinator for the transitional justice program at the Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation in South Africa, told Newsreel there was a real need for a political solution to the problem. He said given the compromised judiciary it was unlikely that any court orders won by the villagers will be enforced by the partisan police force. Even though the unity deal between ZANU PF and the MDC commits itself to reconciliation and national healing, Mpani believes ZANU PF accepted this out of expediency and has no interest in the process.
Mpani meanwhile criticized the coalition government for going ahead with the current consultations for a new constitution, when the issues of reconciliation and national healing have still not been addressed. He questioned for example the wisdom of going to people in Nyanga, Buhera and Bikita, asking for their views on the constitution, when these same people were battling to get their property back and still felt bitter about the militias camped in their areas. Mpani also said the national healing organ, set up under unity deal, was not a solid platform as all it was designed to do is 'advise' on what is 'necessary' and practicable.'
In SW Radio Africa .
CSVR is a multi-disciplinary institute that seeks to understand and prevent violence, heal its effects and build sustainable peace at the community, national and regional levels.
