MDC candidate hospitalised after brutal attack by ZANU PF youths

By Violet Gonda
31 October 2006

An MDC candidate, Philemon Mupete Chiwenda, is recovering at SASU Medical Clinic in Mutare after he was assaulted by suspected ZANU PF youths in Chipinge North. Speaking from his hospital bed the opposition candidate for Ward 19 claims the ZANU PF MP for Chipinge North, Morris Sakabuya, instructed the youths to beat him up.

Chiwenda said he was assaulted when he had been monitoring polling stations on the day of the rural district council elections on Saturday. He believes he was targeted because he had complained to the authorities when he had noticed that MDC polling agents had been chased away from one of the polling stations.

Chiwenda said he actually saw the ZANU PF MP drop of some of the youths who beat him up. He sustained a deep cut on his forehead after being brutalised with iron bars and fists. The 30 year old opposition candidate was admitted first at Chipinge District Hospital but was later transferred to the hospital in Mutare on Tuesday.

Although a report was made to the police no arrests have been made.

It’s reported that there was serious intimidation of opponents in this area, with opposition supporters in some cases being victimised in front of the police. Pishai Muchauraya, the spokesperson for the Tsvangirai MDC in Manicaland province said; “In fact violence won that ward in favour of ZANU PF as suspected MDC supporters were targeted. A lot of people were assaulted and some people were threatened on the day of the election.”

The ruling party is expected to get the majority of the 1400 rural district seats as the electoral system heavily favours Zanu (PF).