Wednesday, 16 April 2008

VIOLENCIA NO ZIMBABWE?

Youth Forum Board Chairperson and NCA spokesperson’s rural homestead burnt… Property worth billions of dollars burnt to ashes in the inferno.

Villagers in Chivasa village, in Bikita, 85km east of Masvingo town, the rural home for Madock Chivasa are in a state of shock and panic following the burning to ashes of the Chivasa family homestead. This occurred yesterday around 1am following threats by ZANU PF youths who support Elias Musakwa, the losing candidate for Bikita West parliamentary election that they are going to deal with people in Chivasa village for supporting Heya Shoko who won that seat on the MDC ticket on March 29. Youth Forum is being inundated with a lot of calls from the inhabitants of this village as what to do concerning their security. Youth Forum worked vigorously in this area just like in its other target areas in Masvingo, in their go vote campaign. Intimidation started then when Chivasa alongside 9 other were arrested on the eve of March 29 elections for playing the music which denigrate ZANU PF as well distributing fliers with the same message. Youth Forum sees this as part of an orgy of violence being orchestrated by ZANU PF throughout the country. It is reminiscent to the recent beatings of opposition supporters by soldiers in Zaka, burning of a home for an MDC supporter in Chimanimani, violence by ZANU PF youths in Murehwa, Mudzi and Wedza, to mention just a few. To augment these diabolic acts, ZANU PF youths are currently camped in bases where they are supposed to operate from in the presidential runoff campaign. The war veterans have also been deployed to head the rural police stations, a move also meant to be strategically positioned to carryout their usual ‘business’ conviniently. Besides adjustment of results, the delay of presidential results is meant to provoke citizens to protest so that justification can be found to unleash violence on opposition supporters. What a receipe for violence!

Youth Forum condemns ZANU PF’s acts of brutality in strongest terms and urges once again the youths not to be used as objects of unleashing violence.We believe youths are the leaders of today and tomorrow, they must be responsible if they want this nation to develop.We also urge the security forces to be professional, they are paid to serve the people and not to be enermies of the taxpayers. The state media should not incite violence like it is currently doing, this further destroys the nation. The media should instead promote conflict transformation and peace building. Youth Forum will join the rest of pro-democratic citizens in Tuesday’s stayaway called by MDC demanding the presidential election results.

Youth Forum Information and Publicity

+263 913 014 693, +263 913 022 368

Youth don’t be used to unleash violence, it further destroys our nation.

Website: www.youthforum.org.zw

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