Mugabe followers harass opponents

Press, 10 July 1985, Page 10

Mugabe followers harass opponents

NZPA-Reuter Harare Gangs of youthful followers of the newly re-elected Zimbabwean Prime Minister, Robert Mugabe, rampaged through mainly black townships beating opposition supporters and ransacking their homes yesterday. At least one person had been killed and several injured in the violence, a Government spokesman said. The country’s national news agency, Ziana, said that unconfirmed reports had put the toll at three dead. It said that more than 600 homes had been attacked by the gangs, who went from house to house in the townships of Mufakose, Chitungwiza, Mbare and Highfield to try to force their political opponents to move elsewhere. Most of the victims were followers of the opposition leader Joshua Nkomo and Bishop Abel Muzorewa. Diplomats said that they feared the violence could spark retaliatory attacks in other parts of the country. Onlookers. said that the gangs of youths had raided homes, beaten and robbed those inside, and thrown their belongings out on to the streets: The Information Minister, Dr Nathan Shamuyarira, appealed to the government’s supporters not to take the law into their own hands. Dr Shamuyarira, who is also a member of the 14member politburo of Mr Mugabe’s governing Zim-

babwe African National Union — Patriotic Front, said, "We have not yet' reached the goal of a oneparty state and therefore any person is still entitled to support a party of his or her own/choice.” Mr Mugabe, who was returned to power in the country’s first post-independence General Election last week with a big majority, has pledged to turn the former British colony into a oneparty state within five years. Victims of the attackers spoke of fear and uncertainty in the townships and e . said that they had been' barred from re-entering their homes. Douglas Moyo, an Nkomo supporter and resident of Mufakose said “We reported the matter to the police but they said they had no power to intervene.” Others whose homes were ransacked agreed and said that they had now to look for alternative housing. A group of young men and women, chanting slogans and wearing clothes bearing the governing party’s cockerel election symbol, ransacked a house as this correspondent spoke to one of the victims in Mufakose yesterday. Thomas Wadi, who sat with his wife and five tearful children outside their house, said, “these groups, beat me up and one of my daughters before locking us out.We haven’t had anything to eat and it looks like we

will be like this until we find some accommodation elsewhere. “The gangs, some armed with sticks and stones, hurled my belongings outside and said we should look for another house in Bulawayo.” Bulawayo is the capital of Southern Matabeleland, Mr Nkomo’s powerbase, where Patriotic Front — Zimbabwe African People’s Union, captured all its 15 seats. Meanwhile Mr Mugabe was quoted yesterday as saying that Zimbabwe’s post-election Cabinet would be composed exclusively of members of his party. The “Herald” newspaper quoted him as telling a rally that opposition parties had shown they were working against his Government. The new Cabinet is expected to be announced this week. All the Ministers in Mr Mugabe’s outgoing Cabinet were Z.A.N.U.-P.F. members apart from two whites, Chris Andersen and Denis Norman, who are not affiliated to any party. The “Herald” did not say whether Mr Mugabe intended appointing any white Ministers this time.. Mr Mugabe was angered that many of Zimbabwe’s 100,000 whites elected supporters of the rebel Rhodesian Prime Minister, lan Smith, to fill 15 of the 20 Parliamentary seats reserved for whites.