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Thursday, March 28, 2002 - Web posted at 3:58:10 pm GMT

HARARE - Two more opposition supporters have died in Zimbabwe after attacks by soldiers during and after this month's controversial presidential elections, the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) said yesterday.

Donnie Jeranyama, an MDC polling agent during the March 9-11 election, was assaulted by soldiers on the eve of the election, the party said in a statement.

His injuries had caused continuous bleeding from his ear for the last two weeks and he died early Tuesday at his home in Honde Valley, 180 kilometres east of Harare, the statement said.

Sambami Ncube, an MDC member in the western resort town of Victoria Falls, was beaten to death by soldiers on March 17 as he was returning home from a shopping centre, the statement said.

A post-mortem at Mpilo Central Hospital in the southern town of Bulawayo found that his spinal cord and ribs had been broken during the attack, the MDC said.

The deaths bring to 42 the number of people killed so far this year in political violence. Most of the victims have been opposition supporters.

The party said that 10 of its members, who were arrested Friday outside its national offices in Harare, had yet to be charged or released.

"The MDC is concerned by this violence, which is continuing unabated weeks after the elections," the party's statement said.

"We are particularly perturbed that these acts of barbarism are being perpetrated by members of the uniformed force whose duty is to protect civilians rather than victimise them," it said. - Nampa-AFP

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