Political Violence Surged In Zimbabwe In September Despite Political Pact

Political violence surged in Zimbabwe in September despite the signature mid-month of an agreement by the main political parties to share power and form a national unity government to end post-election hostilities, a human rights organization said Tuesday.

The Zimbabwe Peace Project said documented episodes of political violence, perpetrated in large part by militants of the ruling ZANU-PF party of President Robert Mugabe, rose 39% from August to some 1,300 despite the Sept. 15 signature of a power-sharing pact.

Peace Project Director Jestina Mukoko told reporter Jonga Kandemiiri of VOA's Studio 7 for Zimbabwe that her non-governmental organization's findings show that four months after the controversial June 27 presidential run-off election that capped a turbulent election cycle, many Zimbabweans are still angry and are venting that emotion one way or another.