The Zimbabwean Government, formed by the Zimbabwe African National Union (ZANU (PF)) in 1980 and led by Robert Mugabe, claims it is intent upon resolving the land issue in order to achieve economic justice. It also claims that the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), the main opposition party, was formed to protect the interests of whites and is standing in the way of achieving economic justice.
The reality is different. The Mugabe Government is an autocratic regime. When it was in danger of being voted out of power, it was prepared to use violence to prevent this. In the run-up to the General Election in June 2000 it embarked upon a violent campaign to suppress all political opposition, using the land issue to mask its true objective – the retention of power. This violent suppression of political opposition has continued ahead of the Presidential Election.
This report documents the politically motivated violence in Zimbabwe during and after the June 2000 General Election, its impact upon the people and the economy of the country, and its implications in the wider regional and continental context.
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