Shooting victim accuses ZANU-PF MP in Insiza election petition

By Tererai Karimakwenda
12 October 2005

This week a Bulawayo High Court has been hearing evidence in the Insiza election petition in which the MDC’s Siyabonga Malandu Ncube is challenging the victory of ZANU-PF’s gun-stoting MP Andrew Langa in this Matabeleland constituency. Our correspondent George Nyathi, who has been following the case, reports that some interesting facts have been revealed so far.

Malandu Ncube alleges that violence perpetrated by ruling party supporters led by Langa in both the 2002 and 2005 elections, created an environment of fear that influenced the outcome of the poll. Langa himself is accused shooting an MDC youth during the chaotic 2002 pre-election period in Insiza.

On Wednesday, Darlington Kadengu, the MDC youth allegedly shot by Andrew Langa during the struggle for Insiza, testified that it was indeed the winning ZANU-PF MP who shot him and the bullet is still lodged in his back. Nyathi reports that the bullet cannot be removed for fear that it might kill Kadengu. In his testimony Kadengu said Langa shot him at the police station where he and other MDC youth had gone to retrieve their election material. Langa’s lawyers insist the ZANU-PF MP shot Kadengu in self-defence at his home where MDC supporters had attacked him.

On Thursday, an election manager for the MDC testified that he was present when Langa fired the shot in question, and that it was indeed at the police station. SW Radio Africa covered the shooting back in 2002 and interviewed Malandu Ncube and Kadengu, who both said the incident occurred at the police station.

Langa was never arrested for the shooting. In fact, Malandu Ncube and the seriously wounded Kadengu and other MDC activists were the ones arrested when they reported the incident.

The judge would like the closing arguments done by Friday so he can begin to weigh the evidence.