MDC members attacked by axe-wielding ZANU PF mob

By Alex Bell
25 February 2011

Three MDC members from Mutare North are recovering, after they were assaulted by a mob of ZANU PF activists, wielding axes on Thursday.

According to the MDC, Farai Matsika, Mabel Manhumwa and Gainmore Machikuni of Mutare North were assaulted for being MDC activists. Matsika was admitted to hospital with a deep cut on his leg, while the other two were left bruised and shaken. Machikuni and Manhumwa’s homes were also both burned down by the ZANU PF mob. The MDC said the violence is part of ZANU PF’s campaign to intimidate people ahead of possible elections.

A report was made to the police, who once again demonstrated their partisan loyalty to ZANU PF by refusing to open a docket, saying they needed to investigate the issue first.

According to the MDC, the ZANU PF thugs were led by Kumbulani Ndlovu, Kiri Wisilam, Simba Ngowani and Headman Machekecke.

“The MDC condemns such acts of violence perpetrated by the unpopular ZANU PF on a defenseless people,” the MDC said in a statement.

Similar reports of violence have been reported in Nyanga North with the provincial spokesperson, Pishayi Muchauraya saying hundreds of villagers from Nyakomba are fleeing into neighbouring Mozambique. Muchauraya told SW Radio Africa on Thursday that three truck loads of terrorist militias stormed the village and started going house to house looking for MDC supporters.

It is believed that the trucks were supplied by ZANU PF’s Hubert Nyanhongo who is trying to wrestle the Nyanga North constituency from Douglas Mwonzora, the standing MP for the area. Mwonzora is still being detained at Mutare remand prison on allegations that he instigated violence in his constituency. He is being held together with 24 other MDC activists from Nyanga, who have all been granted bail, but are being forced to remain behind bars while the state appeals the bail ruling.

Meanwhile, Golden Maunganidze, an editor with the privately owned Masvingo Mirror newspaper, was arrested in Masvingo on Wednesday on allegations of ‘criminally defaming’ a senior ZANU PF politician. Police in Masvingo questioned and detained Maunganidze for about two hours before releasing him. They asked him to return to the police station on Thursday in the company of his lawyers and indicated that they were likely to charge him with criminal defamation.

According to the Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA), Maunganidze was reportedly arrested at the instigation of the ZANU PF official, following the publication of a satirical article written under the newspaper’s "Hot on the Heels" column. The article was published in the papers 18 February edition last week. MISA said in a statement that it “reliably understands that the article in question did not mention any names.”

Maunganidze's arrest followed the arrest on Monday in Mutare of freelance journalist Sydney Saize. He was released the same day after paying a fine of US$10 for being a ‘criminal nuisance’. Saize was arrested by police while taking pictures of three armed robbers, who allegedly tried to escape from lawful custody at Mutare Magistrates Court.

His lawyer, David Tandiri, said Saize was fined for taking the pictures without the permission of the prison officers.