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Mujuru supporters denied food aid

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THE Zanu PF faction fights have reportedly taken another nasty turn with party members perceived to be sympathetic to ousted former Vice-President Joice Mujuru denied food aid and access to agricultural handouts sourced under the Presidential Inputs Scheme

THE Zanu PF faction fights have reportedly taken another nasty turn with party members perceived to be sympathetic to ousted former Vice-President Joice Mujuru denied food aid and access to agricultural handouts sourced under the Presidential Inputs Scheme, it has been learnt.

PHILLIP CHIDAVAENZI

A Zimbabwe Peace Project (ZPP) report on cases of politically-motivated violations for December 2014 shows a trend where Zanu PF activists opposed to President Robert Mugabe’s continued stay in power were being denied food and agro-inputs alongside main opposition MDC-T supporters.

The practice, according to ZPP, was rampant in Mashonaland Central, Mashonaland East, Manicaland, Masvingo and Matabeleland South provinces.

This also happened in Midlands and Manicaland where those suspected of being sympathetic to former Zanu PF secretary for administration Didymus Mutasa were being denied the inputs.

Mujuru and Mutasa were among several ruling party heavyweights who were fired from their influential party and government positions last December on allegations of plotting to topple Mugabe, charges they have strongly denied.

The report stated that at Rapid Farm in Marondera West, five Zanu PF activists reportedly prevented two party members perceived to belong to the Mujuru faction from accessing the inputs.

Two MDC-T supporters were also denied seed at Karuru township in Hurungwe North in Mashonaland West province last December.

“The victims were removed from the queue by Nicholas Ngadowo of Zanu PF on allegations that they were active MDC-T supporters during the 2013 elections,” the report read in part.

According to ZPP, some 170 political violations were recorded last December reportedly emanating from intra and inter-party fights. “These violations were rampant during the distribution of farm inputs such as fertiliser and seed especially from the Presidential Input Scheme,” ZPP added.

Mashonaland Central, Mashonaland West and Manicaland provinces recorded cases of threats of displacement.

“The perpetrators of violence against the noted Zanu PF activists were also Zanu PF activists. This presents a new dimension to political violence in Zimbabwe. Zanu PF party members still remain the main perpetrators of violence, with a record 225 perpetrators compared to 11 from MDC-T party,” the report said.

The ZPP further noted that the number of political violence victims remained high among males (207) compared to females (93).