Allegations of MDC intra-party clashes in Hwange

By Lance Guma
 29 August 2006

Just days after it was reported that the two rival MDC camps had signed a non-aggression pact there were allegations Monday of clashes over who should use the party’s Matabeleland North provincial office in Hwange. Nelson Chamisa, a spokesman for the Tsvangirai MDC, says that Abednico Bhebhe the Nkayi MP aligned to the Mutambara MDC, organised a raid on the office using a gang of over 20 youths. He alleges Dumisani Gambira, Fortune Muwani and Simba Ngwenya were accompanied by 15 youths hired from South Africa to try and forcibly take over the office. Chamisa says the youths from South Africa were armed with several teargas canisters and used them during the raid.

Chamisa added that the clashes took up the whole of Monday as rival supporters faced each other. Only a court order secured by the Tsvangirai MDC is said to have brought matters to a close with police officers enforcing it later in the day. MP Bhebhe, who is accused of directing the raid, had a different account of events. He denies there were any clashes in the town. He says a female administrator, Gertrude Simango, was running the office prior to the split in the opposition. He says she was relocated to Bulawayo for security reasons following several threats on her life and the office was left padlocked for some months. Now they want her back in the Hwange office, but found the Tsvangirai group had put Michael Phiri there as the administrator.

However, Chamisa maintains the youths tried to kidnap Phiri and his assistant. He says the actions of his colleagues are clearly designed to provoke them into retaliating. Bhebhe on the other hand says they tried to negotiate with Phiri and the Tsvangirai group about sharing the Hwange office, saying of the three rooms available they had suggested using one. He acknowledged the court order secured by the Tsvangirai group and says they will respect it in the meantime until they complete the legal process of challenging it. Several commentators have warned the MDC they need to be united if they are to be effective and Monday’s events are certainly a step back.