HARARE - President Robert Mugabes militia, operating in the farming areas of Mashonaland provinces, are allegedly applying highly toxic herbicides to the injuries of their victims, especially those sustained in the buttocks, to exacerbate pain as well as increase the chances of fatality. The Mashonaland constituencies are former strongholds of Mugabes Zanu-PF which swung to support the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) in the March 29 harmonised elections.
In making the shocking disclosures of alleged Zanu-PF brutal strategies, nine days before the presidential run-off, which pits Mugabe against favourite candidate, Morgan Tsvangirai of the MDC next week, sources claimed the use of the chemicals had so far not come to light as doctors have only been content with treating the injuries instead of investigating the causes of their extent, particularly the peeling of the outer skin, blistering, ulceration and cell death in skin tissues.
Sources in Mashonaland West, Mashonaland Central and Mashonaland East identified widely used herbicide Paraquat as the agent being used. Paraquat is a highly toxic herbicide which medical experts say can be fatal if it enters the bloodstream or when swallowed by accident even in small measures. According to the findings of our research, the presence of scratches, cuts, and sores substantially increases fatality risks.
The sources said Zanu-PF militias, led by war veterans and armed state security agents, had been administering this kind of punishment on victims of violence since the retribution started after Mugabes loss to Tsvangirai in the presidential election held on March 29. The sources said Paraquat, described as a quick-acting, non-selective herbicide, which destroys green plant tissue on contact and, by translocation within the plant, was widely used in the farming areas to kill any green weeds in preparing land for planting.
When they beat up perceived MDC supporters they then proceed to pour cold water laced with Paraquat on the injuries. Apart from increasing the pain, this inflames the injuries and prolongs the healing process, said a government source, familiar with operations of the militia, speaking strictly on condition he is not named due to the sensitive nature of the issue.
If you carefully look at the injuries sustained by some of the opposition victims, especially those sustained in the buttocks through beating, you can see that they are unusual and not consistent with beating. Bones in buttocks are left exposed and grisly. The herbicide eats through the tissues, hence the horrific sight of the injuries.
He said there were MDC supporters in the hospitals that have been brought in with life-threatening injuries consistent with the application of Paraquat.
I witnessed two incidents in Chiweshe last week, he said. Research revealed that Paraquat is generally used as a quaternary ammonium herbicide. It is dangerously poisonous to humans if swallowed. Paraquat was first produced for commercial purposes in 1961 and is today among the most commonly used herbicides. Paraquat has, however, been banned in 13 countries including Sweden, Norway, Finland, and the UK. Its use is highly restricted in the United States due to its acute oral toxicity and ill-health associated with its operations particularly on the farms and plantations. It is, however, widely used in developing countries, including Zimbabwe.
The European Union approved the use of Paraquat in 2004. Sweden, supported by Denmark, Austria, and Finland, brought the European Union commission to court to challenge the approval. In July, 2007, the court annulled the directive authorising the use of Paraquat as an active plant protection substance. Experts say even a single swig of Paraquat, immediately spat out, can cause death as a result of fibrous tissue developing in the lungs leading to asphyxiation. Long term exposures to paraquat would most likely cause lung and eye damage.
Statistics show that 93 percent of fatalities from Paraquat poisoning worldwide are cases of intentional self-administration; that is suicides. The pesticide is regarded as a major suicide agent in Third World countries.
Paraquat is such a widely used suicide agent in Third World countries due to its widespread availability, low toxic dose - two teaspoons being enough to kill - and relative cheapness. There are campaigns to control or even ban Paraquat outright globally, and there are moves to restrict its availability by requiring user education and the locking up of Paraquat stores.
There is a chemical war against supporters of the MDC which no-one has been aware of, another government insider said. Douglas Gwatidzo, the spokesman for the Zimbabwe Doctors for Human Rights, said while his organization has not been alerted on the use of the Paraquat on victims of political violence, the medical fraternity was baffled by the gravity of the injuries and length of time they were taking to heal despite the fact that some of the wounds were not burns.
We have been wondering why they are taking so long to heal, said Gwatidzo when approached by The Zimbabwe Times. We are now going to take samples to toxicology to find out why. I will not be surprised if herbicides are detected because most of the victims claim that water was poured on them after they were beaten. I will be informing my colleagues to check this route.
According to Gwatidzo, doctors were presently attending to more than 5 000 victims of political violence hospitalized in private hospitals in Harare.
David Parirenyatwa, the minister for Health and Child Welfare was not available for comment. The MDC claims over 70 of its supporters have been killed while 25 000 have been displaced by the Zanu-PF campaign of retribution and intimidation. A Zimbabwean toxicologist based in the United States confirmed the severely toxic nature of Paraquat on humans. He says at least three levels of toxicity to humans can be defined; these being acute (or immediate effects), chronic toxicity (long-term effects) and reproductive toxicity (effects on unborn children or children subsequently born to previously exposed individuals).
At the worst, acute toxicity due to exposure to Paraquat can lead to death by respiratory failure. Over the long term, Paraquat affects the Lungs and liver and can also lead to kidney failure. These are but just a selection of a whole range of effects that can be seen as a result of toxic exposure to Paraquat, he said. Reproductively, the levels of Paraquat to which the victims are reportedly being exposed to, coupled by the route of such exposure, which increases access to the blood stream can lead to increased fetal deaths, as well as to incomplete development of fetuses.
The particular fetal abnormality that doctors can expect to see long term is incomplete bone development in children born to parents exposed to high doses of Paraquat.
