A coalition of Zimbabwean doctors said on Wednesday its members had seen and treated more than 150 patients who had been beaten and tortured since the elections at the end of March.
The independent Zimbabwe Association of Doctors for Human Rights said 157 people had been treated between the elections on March 29 and April 14 with injuries clearly stemming from organised violence and torture.
“One third of the patients are women, including a 15-year-old girl who was abducted with her mother from her home, made to lie on her front and beaten on her buttocks,” a statement said.
“Her mother, who is pregnant, was similarly beaten. Both mother and daughter required hospital admission.”
The group said half of 30 patients still in hospital were from the opposition stronghold of Mudzi, north-east of the capital.
“The commonest injury observed was extensive soft-tissue injury of the buttocks. This results from prolonged beating with a hard blunt object,” the doctors said.
Nine patients had broken bones, mostly in their arms or hands, the statement said, adding that such injuries were consistent with victims raising their arms to try to protect their face or upper body.
A broken bone had been protruding from the leg of one patient, resulting from being hit with a blunt object, the doctors said, adding that some of the patients would have permanent disabilities.
The doctors’ association condemned the upsurge in violence and called upon all political parties to “cease the use of intimidation, violence and torture as a form of retribution or victimisation”.
It called on police to take urgent action to prevent more violence and on international organisations such as the Southern African Development Community, the African Union and the United Nations to intervene and bring the post-election crisis in Zimbabwe to an end.
Farm occupations
Meanwhile, a Zimbabwe farmers’ union said on Wednesday that more than 130 white farmers had been driven off their land by supporters of Mugabe, and about 30 had not able to return to their farms.
Trevor Gifford, president of the Commercial Farmers’ Union, said at least 134 farmers had been affected by a new wave of farm occupations by hard-line supporters of Mugabe amid rising tensions over the results the recent polls.
“The majority of white farmers have been able to return to their farms and continue farming,” Gifford said in a statement.
“Regrettably, we can not say this for all as the remainder are facing a variety of difficult situations.”
About 30 farmers are still trying to get back to their farms, he said, adding that intimidation is still rife.
“Some of those who are still on the farms are still facing repeated harassment and abuse despite police intervention. In some cases the police are reluctant to get involved as they indicate that the issue is now political,” he said.
Jabulani Sibanda, the leader of Zimbabwe’s so-called war veterans who took part in the country’s independence struggle and were at the forefront of land invasions eight years ago, has denied recent recurrences on mostly white-owned farms.
Sibanda said war veterans had merely gone to investigate claims that whites were preparing to “take back the land” after Tsvangirai declared he had won the presidential poll. — AFP