New evidence of politically-motivated violence is emerging in Zimbabwe as the results of the presidential election are finally declared.
As predicted, opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai won a larger share of the vote than his rival Robert Mugabe but the Zimbabwean electoral authorities say not enough for an outright win.
Tsvangirai's 47 per cent share compared to Mugabe's 43 per cent means that there will be a second round vote.
There are fears that the run-off in a few weeks' time could lead to more violence and intimidation.
The UN reports that since the elections at least 351 people have been hospitalised, nearly 300 homes have been destroyed through politically motivated arson, 15 women have been abducted, and several people have been murdered.
Each day brings new evidence of the iron-fist brutality and intimidation that is stalking the country in the aftermath of its presidential elections.
Take this chilling message sent to Tearfund about people who have been shot and tortured:
`The eight victims had not received medication by yesterday. They were hiding, fearing further torture. We have them now at a private house. Bullets still in. I have seen enough pain. I don’t mind death now. I will fight this system to the end.’
The church, which is opening its doors to offer sanctuary to those being persecuted, is not immune from the pain.
`Desperate and dangerous’ is how one church leader in Manicaland describes the situation, reporting continuing violence, with victims `pouring’ into the regional opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) headquarters.
Phone threats
He describes going to a workshop attended by NGOs and coming under unwelcome attention from the security services.
Phone call threats ensued and eventually he was arrested on suspicion of encouraging members of the opposition to revolt.
He ended up being interrogated and it was only when he showed the security officers his workshop presentation that his innocence was accepted and he was finally released.
`These are the conditions we are now living in – fear, suspicion and uncertainty of whether we will ride out the storm,’ he said.
Yet he takes heart in the encouragement of fellow Christians and the church through which Tearfund works in Zimbabwe.
Internationally pressure is continuing to be exerted on Robert Mugabe’s regime, with the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Louise Arbour, calling for tolerance and respect in Zimbabwe.
Ms Arbour says there is an emerging pattern of political violence against supporters of the opposition MDC:
`If tolerance and respect for human rights continue their steep decline, the consequences will be grave for all Zimbabweans, and lead to further problems for neighbouring states,’ she said.