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Zim opposition fans 'harassed'
26/03/2008 08:45 - (SA)
London - Supporters of opposition parties in Zimbabwe are having their rights infringed upon by security forces and officials loyal to President Robert Mugabe, Amnesty International says.
The London-based human rights groups cited examples of opposition supporters being ordered to take down election posters, detained without charge at political rallies, and being denied access to food because of their perceived political affiliations.
"Although opposition parties appear to be enjoying a greater degree of access to previously 'no go areas' in rural areas compared with previous elections, we continue to receive reports of intimidation, harassment and violence against perceived supporters of opposition candidates," said Simeon Mawanza, Amnesty's Zimbabwe researcher who recently returned from the country.
No food aid for MDC fans
Mawanza said: "Police in some parts of the country are clearly putting unnecessary restrictions on the activities of the opposition party members, while allowing supporters of the ruling party total enjoyment of their rights."
Amnesty said that on March 07, three supporters of Morgan Tsvangirai's Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), were told by Central Intelligence Organisation operatives to take down posters they were putting up, and two of the supporters were ordered to eat them.
They were only released when the operatives had to leave to attend a political rally ahead of the March 29 vote.
It also said that in February, a councillor from Tsvangirai's party was allegedly prevented from collecting 235 bags of maize his local community had bought from the central Grain Marketing Board after a senior ruling party official said "GMB maize is not supposed to be distributed to MDC supporters".
Amnesty called on Zimbabwean police to respect voters' rights to freedom of association and assembly, and said security services should allow civil society organisations to go about their work during and following the election.
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