MDC officials and family members abducted

By Tichaona Sibanda
23 April 2007

Three senior members of the MDC were abducted from their homes on Friday night as the orgy of violence against opposition figures entered it’s sixth week on Monday.

Those abducted by suspected state operatives were the deputy national organising secretary Morgan Komichi, the director of elections Dennis Murira and his wife, plus organising secretary for Glen Norah Elliot Motsi and his three sons.

Their whereabouts are still unknown. MDC provincial chairman for Harare Morgan Femai claimed on Monday that Robert Mugabe is unleashing his security forces against opposition activists in the capital as a desperate bid to regain control of Harare metropolitan.

Zanu (PF) lost all the parliamentary seats in Harare to the MDC during the 2000 elections and there are reports, according to Femai, that the regime has made it a priority to reclaim most of these seats. From what has happened in the last two months Femai fears the regime is prepared to eliminate its opponents to achieve its goals.

Already plans have been unveiled by the government to try and dilute the MDC support enjoyed in the capital by merging most of the constituencies with some rural areas on the outskirts of the city.

‘There is one thing I would like to tell Mugabe and that is they are using the wrong approach in their quest to win the hearts and minds of the people in Harare province. All they have managed to do is alienate themselves from the electorate,’ Femai said.

Femai said intimidation and brutality has continued unabated as evidenced by the abductions of three of their senior officials on Friday despite proposed negotiations between Zanu (PF) and the MDC. 15 other activists still in prison are expected to appear in court on Thursday.

Police claim those being arrested have links to a spate of alleged petrol bombings, which they blame on MDC supporters. The MDC has denied the allegations, adding that all their activists are being framed.

‘People are saying this crackdown is an attempt by Mutable to soften us prior to the talks. There is nothing like that, the man wants us all out of the way for his party to cruise to victory,’ added Fermi.

He said the climate of intimidation and brutality has led to many people in the country to hate Mutable and his party. In a free and fair election he added, Zanu (PF) will be lucky to win 30 seats.