Daga Hut, named after the native clay that is used to chink and plaster the external wall. Daga dries as hard as cement.
Posted on 01/17/2004 8:12:58 PM PST by Clive
Zanu PF is now threatening to seize houses owned by suspected opposition supporters.
Residents of the New Magada area of Epworth near Harare were threatened with homelessness at a meeting last weekend. A delegation from Zanu PF's Harare province, lead by a Comrade Kudhinga, warned that houses would be seized, and given to Zanu PF supporters.
"We will simply instruct the Epworth Local Board to remove you from their housing register, and that will be it," Kudhinga threatened residents who were forced to attend the meeting. "We can do anything we want here in Epworth. We can kill, and the police will not arrest us," he added.
Youths in the area were also rounded up for a separate meeting, where their names were taken. The youths were told that minister Elliot Manyika would soon visit to address them. Manyika heads the ministry of Gender and Youth Development, which controls the Border Gezi Training Centre, at which the notorious "Green Bomber" youth militia are trained, raising fears that the youth would be dragooned into the bands of Zanu PF thugs.
Those at the meeting were also subjected to a vitriolic attack on the Catholic Church. "We know that the Roman Catholics are aligned to the MDC and are sponsored by the British, we also know why they are giving you food. You may continue to go there if you want but we will deal with them," a local woman Zanu PF activist told the meeting. The church was accused of politicising food aid distribution in the area.
Epworth is an impoverished area on the eastern outskirts of Harare, where many people have built small brick houses and dagga huts. Epworth has little or no sanitary, water or electrical facilities.
A number of opposition supporters were assaulted and some murdered in the constituency prior to the 2000 parliamentary elections, which was won by Tapiwa Mashakada of the MDC by a large majority.
This latest threat of violence is thought to be the start of Zanu PF campaigning for the next round of parliamentary elections, expected in 2005 or sooner.
The residents have been ordered to attend another meeting on the 24th January.
Well, yeah, but at least it's black-on-black so it's not that much of a big deal. The legacy of slavery, and apartie (sp?), and stuff like that, you know.
(Sort of like black-on-black [or black-on-white crime here in the U.S.)
Obviously, they can and do. It makes one wonder why they care about the meaningless votes, though. I guess its just another excuse to exercise their complete criminal control over anyone not in the Zanu PF.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.