Rights groups say a brutal attack on Zimbabwe opposition supporters was clearly intended to harass and intimidate them ahead of elections expected later this year. Amnesty International called on Zimbabwe to fully investigate a video showing ruling-party youth beating and kicking older supporters of the Citizens Coalition for Change (Triple C). The video, which has gone viral on social media, showed some elderly members of the Triple C being assaulted over the weekend in Murehwa about 100 kilometers east of Harare. Fadzayi Mahere, Triple C spokeswoman, has accused the ruling Zanu-PF party of masterminding the violence and blamed the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission and the police for failing to stop it. Amnesty’s spokesman in southern Africa, Robert Shivambu, said the attack would intimidate members of the political opposition ahead of Zimbabwe’s elections, and could have a chilling effect throughout the country. Several of Zimbabwe’s elections have been marred by violence, most of which targeted the opposition. That is why the Zimbabwe Peace Project has set up an app for citizens to report cases of violence or intimidation ahead of the 2023 general election. Thandolwenkosi Mahaja, the program’s coordinator explained how her organization’s “Reject, Resist and Report Violence” app works.
SOURCE:VOA