Masvingo – Top Zanu-PF officials have reportedly threatened to track down and kill all suspected Movement of the Democratic Change (MDC), who attended Morgan Tsvangira's campaign rally in Gutu, Masvingo last weekend.
According to NewsDay, traditional leaders as well as a Zanu-PF official Joseph Musasiwa and youth leader Rabson Manzunzu threatened to unleash a terror campaign similar to the 2008 bloodbath which left at least 200 MDC supporters dead.
Masasiwa allegedly read out a list of at least 30 villagers who attended Tsvangirai’s rally and threatened to kill them before the 2018 elections.
"The government does not buy bullets so that we shoot trees. I will shoot people, not trees... Starting at this moment until (2018) elections, every village head must support Zanu-PF. We cannot afford to see the country recolonised,” Manzunzu was quoted saying.
Widespread and systematic abuses
MDC spokesperson Obert Gutu condemned the threats, saying it was unfortunate that Zanu-PF officials were in the forefront in inciting violence against opposition supporters.
The state owned Herald newspaper Tsvangirai's recent rallies had been poorly attended.
The report claimed that less that 200 people had attended the rallies.
In 2008, Human Rights Watch (HRW) documented cases that revealed that President Robert Mugabe's government was responsible "at the highest levels" for widespread and systematic abuses that led to the killing of up to 200 people, the beating and torture of 5 000 more, and the displacement of at least 36 000 people.
The report revealed that government agencies including police were implicated in the attacks, and allegedly failed to investigate hundreds of legal complaints filed by individuals, victims' families, rights groups and Tsvangirai's party.
The violence followed after Mugabe reportedly lost the controversial election.