Journalists condemn Zimbabwe violence

• Online: Association of Zimbabwe Journalists

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A GROUP of exiled Zimbabwean journalists released a statement Saturday saying the country was "at war" and urging the government to "cease to sponsor terror" ahead of a key presidential election run-off on June 27.

The Association of Zimbabwe Journalists (AZJ) expressed alarm at the "wanton destruction of people's lives" and laid the blame for rising political violence on President Robert Mugabe's government.

Responding to Mugabe's recent threats to go to war if he loses to opposition rival, Morgan Tsvangirai, the journalists said: "Evidently, the war has already begun in the form of horrendous beatings and murder of both known and perceived opposition supporters in the entire country.

"Daily news reports emanating from Zimbabwe point to the fact that Zimbabwe is a country at war and findings by both local and foreign observers as well as family and community accounts overwhelmingly point at Zanu PF as the sponsor of the terror that has paralysed Zimbabwe."

Tsvangirai's Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) says more than 70 activists have been killed since Mugabe's Zanu PF party lost local government and House of Assembly elections on March 29. Mugabe was also beaten to second place in the presidential race by Tsvangirai, although the MDC leader narrowly failed to amass the necessary majority for an outright win, forcing a run-off.

Local human rights activists and regional leaders say the election is unlikely to be free and fair.

President Mugabe has rejected calls by South African President Thabo Mbeki to scrap the run-off and focus on putting a mechanism for a unity government. Mbeki and other regional leaders believe the election will not solve the country's economic and political problems.

AZJ said: "We join other organisations in expressing doubts of a free and fair election next Friday."

To see full statement, CLICK HERE

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