Two supporters of Zimbabwe's ruling party have been shot dead in the country's northeast, state radio reported Saturday, amid mounting violence ahead of a presidential run-off next month.
"Two ZANU-PF supporters have been shot dead and two others escaped unhurt in politically motivated violence by suspected MDC (Movement for Democratic Change) elements in Mutoko," the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation said.
The period since first-round elections in March has been marked by a steady rise in political violence which the opposition MDC says has seen more than 50 of its supporters killed by pro-Robert Mugabe militias.
Zimbabweans go back to the polls June 27 for a second-round presidential election between president Mugabe, who has led the country since independence in 1980, and MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai.
While Tsvangirai fell just short of an outright majority in the first round held on March 29, his party wrested control of parliament from Mugabe's ZANU-PF in a simultaneous legislative poll.
The United Nations' chief representative in Zimbabwe has said Mugabe's supporters are to blame for the bulk of recent violence, but the Zimbabwean president blames the opposition.
Quoting police spokesman Oliver Mandipaka, Saturday's state media report said Lessy Chitsitsi, the ruling party's ward publicity secretary, was shot dead on Thursday.
In the second incident, a gunman shot and killed ZANU-PF activist Taurai Chihuri on Friday, the report said.
Earlier Saturday, the state-owned Herald newspaper quoted the Zimbabwean army's chief of staff as publicly urged soldiers to vote for Mugabe.
"The constitution says the country should be protected by voting and...we should, therefore stand behind our commander-in-chief," Major-General Martin Chedondo said.
In a separate development, several hundred women converged on a stadium Saturday on the outskirts of Harare to pray for peace ahead of elections.
"As we pray today there are some fellow Zimbabweans who are hiding in mountains afraid to come down fearing that they may be surrounded and attacked," Tawona Mtshiya, vice-chair of the Evangelical Fellowship of Zimbabwe, told a crowd that was drawn from various denominations.
The prayer service was organised by the Zimbabwe Women's National Prayer Task Force, which is seen as politically neutral.
