Zimbabwe militia occupy town

Themba Nkosi
BBC, Matabeleland

Kamativi, in northern Matabeleland province, is now a garrison town controlled by the young militia of the ruling Zanu-PF party who are infamously known as Green Bombers.

Now numbering about 1000, they moved into Kamativi recently from one of their four training centres in Tsholotsho district.

We are here to do our job. Our mission here is to crush the MDC and flush out all sell- outs

Green Bomber

In Kamativi, the militias, some as young as 16, have become the law.

All residents of the former mining compound have to apply to them for passes which allow them to leave and enter the compound.

They have, on several occasions, beaten up policemen on patrol for trying to arrest Zanu-PF supporters.

All check-points in the area are manned by the militias.

Severely tortured

When they arrived in the town, they chased away opposition Movement for Democratic Change , MDC, officials including councillors. The remaining MDC supporters have become hostages.

The councillors who were forced to flee their wards have taken refuge in the coal mining town of Hwange.

They are still too scared to return to Kamativi after they were severely tortured by the youths.

Visitors to Kamativi must report their presence to the militia and state the purpose and duration of their stay.

"Our movements here are controlled by these thugs. We are hostages of ZANU-PF", said one woman who smuggled me into her house at night.

She was terrified and told me she was putting her life in the firing line by speaking to the BBC .

Fear in town

During my brief visit to Kamativi a few days ago, I managed to speak to three members of the militia.

They only agreed to speak after they were persuaded by a war veteran friend of mine who accompanied me to the area.

I asked them why they were terrorising and subjecting their own people to inhumane treatment.

One of them became angry and warned me to be careful how I ask my questions.

"Don't say that to me. We are here to do our job. Our mission here is to crush the MDC and flush out all sell- outs", he told me. "Who gave you such orders to crush the MDC", I asked him.

"Don't ask me that. Go and ask our leaders. They are the ones who deployed us here", added another Green Bomber.

Meanwhile, the opposition MDC is compiling a list of policemen, government agents and militia members who it claims, have been torturing its supporters.

MDC advertisements in the local press say all those who are supporting the system by torturing innocent people will account for their actions the day the present government collapses.