Zim Villagers Forced To Attend Night Vigils

The war veterans in the district led by Sayinai Madhaka and Tariro Shoko, Zanu (PF) Ward Chairman for Mataruse area are forcing villagers especially MDC supporters to attend these pungwe which are held on Sunday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday night every week.

Edius Moyo the mainstream MDC chairman for Mberengwa district told Radio VOP that Madhaka and Shoko are directing the pungwe meetings and are sending Zanu (PF) youths to threaten villagers who don’t come to these meetings.

“These guys are ruthless. This is the time of the year when most people spent the day busy in the fields but they can’t do that because they are being forced to attend pungwe meetings in the evening. Last week there were holding the pungwe meetings near Ruvuraugwi primary school and now have moved to Murongwe area,”said Moyo.

Moyo said the war veterans are even getting the blessing of Chief John Bhera-Mataruse a known Zanu (PF) activist to hold the pungwe meetings.

“At the pungwe meetings the villagers will be taught about the history of the liberation struggle and also forced to sing Chimurenga songs half the night,” he said.

The Mberengwa pungwe meetings have come at a time when Zanu (PF) youths and local leadership in Gokwe district in the same Midlands province have introduced operation Jongwe Ngarichengetwe Mumusha which means that Zanu (PF) leader President Robert Mugabe should be re-elected to head the country.

Villagers of Charama, 100 kilometres south of Gokwe town last week told Radio VOP that they were being harassed with the youth who were going around asking what should be done to a cock if it gets old.

The villagers said they were expected to respond by saying an old cock should be respected and kept safe in the home.

Zanu (PF) uses a cock as its symbol and Mugabe, 87 next February, is often referred to as the cock (jongwe) by his supporters.