By Violet Gonda
31 May 2010
The MDC on Monday accused ZANU PF supporters of embarking on an orgy of violence against its members, in various parts of the country, including an abduction, an arson attack and a disrupted rally.
In Manicaland, Makoni South MP Pishai Muchauraya was also summoned to appear in a Buhera court on Friday, for allegedly making statements that were ‘derogatory to the office of the President’, before the 2008 elections.
“The state alleges that I made some utterances that had the intentions of undermining the office of Zim’s oldest grandpa, Robert Mugabe, before the 2008 elections. Surprisingly, this is happening at a time some uniformed soldiers are intimidating people in my constituency,” Muchauraya confirmed on Monday.
He said if leaders abuse their office, citizens should have the right to denounce them and that people have the right to seek proper representation.
The constitutional outreach program is supposed to finally begin, after many delays, on June 15th. All this year there have been outbreaks of ZANU PF violence against the MDC, but this appears to be worsening as the date for the actual outreach nears.
In recent attacks MDC activist Aleck Rapera is said to have lost all his property when his house in Murehwa West, Mashonaland East province, was razed to the ground by suspected Zanu PF supporters on Friday. The arson attack was reported to the police but no arrests have so far been made, although the assailants are known.
A scheduled MDC rally at Hopley Farm was disrupted by armed police in Harare South on Saturday, while the party’s chairperson for Hopley Farm, Vengayi Chingorima, was abducted from his home by nine ZANU PF supporters. The MDC says the abductors included an army officer.
“The nine who were driving a Mitsubishi L200 truck with registration number AAG 7624, assaulted Chingorima all over the body before he was left in bushy area at night. His assailants threatened him with death if he continued to mobilise MDC activities in the areas,” said the MDC in a statement.
Despite being a partner in the inclusive government the MDC continues to report that violence and the selective application of the law is targeting its supporters.
At least 500 MDC supporters were killed during the last election and most of the perpetrators have never been brought to book, even though they are well known. Two of the alleged perpetrators of the 2008 violence are carrying out police duties in Harare. Tens of thousands of MDC supporters were tortured and beaten, and no one knows how many have subsequently died.
The MDC information department said: “Two suspected killers of MDC activist Gift Mutsvunguma, were last month recruited as special police constabularies at Kuwadzana police Station, a move which has left the community in shock.”
“Mutsvunguma, who was 29, was abducted at his Kuwadzana home by the two suspects on 4 July 2008. However, when his uncle Wurayayi Mangwiro, recently went to Kuwadzana police station to find out progress made in bringing the suspects to book, he was shocked at seeing the two at the police station carrying out police duties.”
|