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| Africa Subsaharan | |
| Mugabe's men bring rape and torture to Harare suburbs | |
| 2008-06-21 | |
Her attackers were young men drawn from Robert Mugabe's militia, armed with knives and slingshots, who rule the streets of Epworth, a sprawling poor township on the edge of Harare. But Chipowera, a 24-year-old opposition activist, knows who she blames. There is the ruling Zanu-PF party's district chairman, Teddy Garakara, in whose house she was held and tortured along with other opposition activists, some in a hole in the ground. Then there is Amos Midzi, a former cabinet minister and parliamentary candidate for the Epworth seat who lost to the opposition. He appeared at the house to encourage the militiamen as Chipowera was beaten. The victims say he is orchestrating the campaign of home burnings and demolitions engulfing Epworth. And there is Joana Mawira, a Zanu-PF local councillor, who other women say was giving the orders as they were assaulted. | |
| Posted by:Steve White |