Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights has expressed concern at reports of continued political violence against opposition members in Nyanga North constituency, Manicaland province, in spite of undertakings by the country's ruling party and opposition to end such violence.

The civic group issued a statement last week deploring “continued politically motivated violence compounded by the inaction of the police.”

Opposition member of parliament-elect for Nyanga North Douglas Mwonzora, and five others, have asked the high court to order ZANU-PF militia and war veterans to halt violence in their troubled constituency. They want all illegal militia bases be dismantled and are demanding the removal of illegal roadblocks which have been set up by the ruling party militants.

The opposition Movement for Democratic Change charged last week that ZANU-PF militia had murdered two more MDC members. But the police dismissed the claim saying that peace was prevailing across the country. Police spokesman Wayne Bvudzijena told the state-controlled Herald newspaper that the opposition tended to claim all dead bodies that turned up.

Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights Paralegal Officer David Hofisi told Jonga Kandemiiri that the group hopes the police will respect an eventual decision by the high court.