An MDC-T ward chairman in Chikomba district of Chivhu was on Tuesday reportedly abducted by suspected Zanu PF activists and up till Friday his whereabouts were still unknown.
Timothy Mugari was abducted after a Zanu PF rally in the area where Media Information and Publicity minister Webster Shamu, who is also the party’s political commissar, allegedly questioned why the area was harbouring “sell-outs” after seeing a red flag flying at Mugari’s homestead.
The following day, it is alleged, Zanu PF activists arrived in a Nissan Sunny vehicle and asked why Mugari was flying an MDC-T flag before dragging him into their vehicle and speeding off.
Apparently the flag, according to villagers interviewed by NewsDay this week, was an apostolic church flag that had nothing to do with politics.
Red is synonymous with MDC-T regalia. “Shamu was having a meeting at Ringa business centre where he asked what MDC people were still doing in the area,” said Christopher Muchenje, MDC-T information secretary for Chikomba West.
Muchenje said MDC-T supporters were now living in fear since that incident as Zanu PF activists had declared their intent to eliminate them – to follow Shamu’s instruction.
Arnold Reza, a local MDC-T councillor for Ward 19 Chikomba district, said the people were living in fear after the incident especially given on-going election talk as abductions were common in Chivhu.
“Abductions are not new in this area and I am also a victim of that.
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“Security of the people is at risk especially because police have failed to protect the people and villagers no longer have confidence in them,” Reza said.
Shamu refused to comment on the matter on the phone. He demanded a one-on-one interview but was unavailable for such an interview up to the time of going to press.
“You know my policy when I am dealing with journalists. People write lies about me, about the Head of State and about Zanu PF,” he said. Police in Chivhu also refused to comment on the matter.
