The large, tattered poster of Robert Mugabe flying above one of the country’s largest markets in Mbare, Harare’s oldest suburb and an opposition stronghold, was a sign of yet another victory for Mugabe’s local militia in their violent bid to take control of the city’s pro-opposition townships.
In Harare’s crowded townships Zanu-PF is using a combination of violence and extortion, barring suspected opposition supporters from trading in the markets and launching attacks on their homes and businesses. The attacks, which worsened at the weekend, have left dozens injured and have driven many from their homes.
Early this week a mob rampaged through downtown Harare, targeting businesses owned by West African and Chinese nationals, who dominate much of the downtown retail businesses.
Looters hit a crowded downtown mall known as the Gulf, where hundreds of traders sell wares such as cheap clothing and electronics imported from China and Dubai. Newspaper vendors selling the independent NewsDay daily in the area were also attacked and had their newspapers seized.
A Zanu-PF group called Upfumi Kuvadiki (wealth to the youth), also launched demonstrations against foreign businesses and the Movement for Democratic Change-run council for awarding a contract to a South African company, EasiPark, to manage the city’s parking.
The group, which said it was marching to support the country’s empowerment laws, denies it caused the violence. With the bulk of Zimbabwe’s urban population living off informal trade, Zanu-PF is looking to control the city’s produce and flea markets. To secure a stall at some markets, a trader needs a Zanu-PF membership card. For protection, some traders display a poster of Mugabe or a Zanu-PF flag.
Amid the poverty in Mbare, Zanu-PF has bred a violent militia aimed at controlling the township constituencies it has always lost at elections.
‘The covenant’
The MDC may have won in Mbare in the past election, but the streets are owned by the local Zanu-PF youth militia, a violent group known as Chipangano (loosely translated as “the covenant”). Chipangano is much feared, with vendors at market stalls forced to pay tolls to the group’s leaders so that they can trade in peace.
When Zanu-PF needs a crowd for a demonstration, a state funeral or a rally, Chipangano is called in, shutting down markets and forcing traders to attend.
The violence has not been all one-sided. On Monday the market stalls run by an Mbare Zanu-PF activist were petrol-bombed.
The three parties in the coalition have issued a joint statement condemning the violence. “We agreed that what is happening in Harare is not good for our country and is completely against the spirit of the global political agreement signed by our leaders. We believe it is within our power to stop the violence, which poses a threat to the lives of our people,” they said.
But in sharp contrast to the image of unity projected by the statement, opposition supporters have gone into hiding.
After touring the homes of attacked supporters in Mbare, the MDC’s Theresa Makone, one of the two home affairs ministers, appeared frustrated by her powerlessness to get the police, which her ministry controls, to intervene.
Questioned
“Today I witnessed something I thought I would never see in Zimbabwe. It’s just not possible to be that evil,” Makone said.
Hours after her visit, police rounded up supporters who had sought refuge at a church in another township. They were released at midnight after being questioned on who had provided them with blankets and food, the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights said.
At the MDC’s headquarters in central Harare, dozens of families seeking refuge were sleeping on office floors this week.
The MDC says the attacks are a provocation to give Zanu-PF the chance to launch a crackdown ahead of elections that Mugabe wants later this year.
For its part, Zanu-PF blames the MDC, presenting as evidence recent remarks by Morgan Tsvangirai that Egyptian-style protests were possible in Zimbabwe.
Defence Minister Emmerson Mnangagwa, a powerful senior Mugabe ally, warned in a speech to army chiefs last Friday that “those who may want to emulate what happened in Egypt and Tunisia will regret it”.
Zanu-PF chairperson Simon Khaya Moyo argued that the clashes were a carefully crafted ploy by the MDC to influence the European Union, ahead of a decision next week on whether to keep sanctions in place on Zimbabwe.