Suspected Zanu PF youths plunged Mbare into chaos at the weekend, beating up residents who had converged at a local sports complex for a meeting.
Precious Shumba, the coordinator of the Harare Residents’ Trust (HRT), was seriously injured together with six others.
Several other members of the Trust were tracked home and forced to surrender their HRT T-shirts.
NewsDay was on Sunday inundated with calls from residents who narrated the ordeal that left many injured and others hospitalised.
They alleged Zanu PF youths had declared they would not allow anyone perceived to be a supporter of the MDC-T in Mbare, saying the suburb was now a no-go area for anyone who did not support Zanu PF.
Simbarashe Majamanda, the membership officer of the HRT, said the meeting had started well but all hell broke loose after the youths invaded the complex.
“The event was disrupted by a group of Zanu PF youths who stormed the Mbare netball complex and started beating up people including delegates at the top table as well as Zesa and Ministry (of Local Government) officials,” he said.
Majamanda said although they reported the case to the police, no arrest had been made.
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“Some people had to hide in toilets while those who fled to their houses were followed and beaten up,” he said.
But Zanu PF Harare youth chairperson Jim Kunaka said his members were disciplined and did not believe in violence.
“As far as I am concerned, we had a peaceful rally in Majubeki and I don’t even know of any HRT meeting and violence they claim was perpetrated by Zanu PF youths,” he said.
“Why do they have to blame everything bad on Zanu PF?
“Is it the only political party in Zimbabwe?” he retorted.