Two MDC activists killed in new wave of political violence

By Tichaona Sibanda
14 April 2008

Two MDC activists died over the weekend in political violence linked to reprisal killings, that have left over 100 party activists seriously injured after beatings by war veterans and militias.
Tapiwa Mbwada, an MDC organising secretary for Hurungwe East in Karoi, was beaten to death on Saturday night. His wife and brother were badly beaten and are in a serious condition. A local Zanu-PF councillor from Kazangarare named as Jawet, and an ex-soldier identified as Madamombe, have been named as the culprits.

A teacher in Mudzi in Mashonaland East, was murdered and 8 women from the same area were abducted. The MDC is still waiting for more information and confirmation about this case. In Gokwe an activist was shot and seriously injured and is now in a Harare hospital.
Ian Makone, a top aide to MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai, accused Zanu-PF of the latest killings and violence and denounced the attacks as ‘naked evil’.
He warned that Robert Mugabe was trying to provoke ‘mayhem and civil disobedience’ by inciting violence through political killings.

‘To say it is tense would be an understatement,’ Makone said. ‘There is almost a siege mentality because of the attacks.’ The scale of the beatings in most rural areas are so shocking, the victims can barely walk or talk.

In most of the recorded cases of beatings, the perpetrators are well known figures in the communities. In other instances, Zanu-PF parliamentarians and senior serving members of the police and army have been implicated in the atrocities.

‘David Parirenyatwa has been implicated in the violence taking place in Murehwa. We also got the names of assistant commissioner Pfubvute and Brigadier Douglas Nyikayarambwa, and these people are causing untold suffering to many of our supporters,’ Makone said.

He added; ‘It’s unfortunate now that in former strongholds of Zanu-PF, the violence there now is brother against brother or brother against sister, or friend against friend’.