Zanu PF has allegedly upped its pre-election campaign strategy amid reports unemployed youths linked to the party have engaged in terror tactics, beating up MDC-T supporters and destroying property in various parts of the country.
Reports of violence have been received from Harare, Chimanimani, Mutare, Mutasa, Karoi, Bulawayo and Chikomba in Mashonaland East.
Although such reports have been repeatedly dismissed by Zanu PF stalwarts including spokesperson Rugare Gumbo, the police are on record saying the violence was being perpetrated by both Zanu PF and the MDC-T.
However, the MDC-T maintains they are victims of a brutal regime.
Wednesday, the MDC-T claimed four of its supporters were kidnapped in Mbare and their whereabouts were still not known.
Five others were reportedly beaten up in the same suburb and one of the victims, Magreth Majoni, was stripped naked for sporting MDC-T regalia.
Those said to have been kidnapped were identified as Anna Peresu, Timothy Mugari, Remita Motiwa and one Taruvinga.
Evans Matola, an MDC-T activist, was yesterday severely assaulted in Mbare and rushed to Avenues Clinic in the city where he was admitted and discharged after receiving treatment.
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MDC-T national youth assembly spokesperson Clifford Hlatshwayo said youths were “tired of Zanu PF violence” and the time had come to protect their parents from the “horror” they were suffering at the hands of the former ruling party’s youths.
He said: “As the youth assembly, we are not going to sit and look while our parents are being humiliated, tortured and attacked by Zanu PF.
“We are there to protect our party and parents from Zanu PF people and on that we won’t look back. The message I have for all perpetrators is that your time of wilfully unleashing violence upon our parents and trying to destabilise the party is now over.”
Hlatshwayo added: “The Zanu PF militia should know that this business of killing and torturing our parents will soon become an individual matter. We know where they stay in villages and cities and if they continue to perpetrate violence, we will deal with them.”
Hlatshwayo said the youth assembly has been infuriated by Chipangano, a shadowy violent Zanu PF outfit in Mbare, for allegedly assaulting MDC-T supporters.
Gumbo could not be reached for comment last night.
Police national spokesperson Senior Assistant Commissioner Wayne Bvudzijena said he needed to check all the facts on the ground as claimed by the MDC-T.
MDC-T activists in Mbare’s Matapi flats were reportedly being forced to attend Zanu PF’s all-night meetings for the past three days, failing which they were threatened with eviction from the flats.
A group of suspected Zanu PF activists were also reported to have destroyed property in Chimanimani East and beaten up Beauty Zengeni (53), a known MDC-T activist.
Four other MDC-T supporters in Bulawayo were reportedly assaulted while others in Karoi were beaten up for wearing MDC-T regalia.
Recently, violence reared its ugly head in Chikomba East constituency, Mashonaland East province, with Zanu PF militia led by one Grace Rufu spearheading disturbances.
MDC-T councillor Ekenia Bhunu and the Hwedza district organising secretary, one Manyani, were targeted by Zanu PF in the area, the party said.
A teacher based at Mwoyoweshumba Secondary School in Mutare, Luckwell Masona, on Sunday lost household property worth thousands of dollars after his house was set on fire — again by suspected Zanu PF youths.
Progressive Teachers’ Union of Zimbabwe Manicaland coordinator, Kelvin Ndumiyana, denounced the attack saying: “We condemn it in the strongest term and this shows that politically-motivated violence targeted at teachers has just started.”
