A confrontation between Justice minister, Patrick Chinamasa and MDC-T MPs, who accused him of inciting political violence in Chimanimani, will take centre stage today at a meeting of the Joint Monitoring and Implementation Committee (Jomic).
Chinamasa complained to Jomic that Thabita Khumalo, the MDC-T Jomic representative “attacked” him after a meeting at Nedziwa Business Centre two weeks ago.
Khumalo, the MDC-T deputy spokesperson, accused Chinamasa of turning the meeting into a Zanu PF rally instead of preaching tolerance saying: “By your speech you activated the structures of violence in this area. There is going to be terror here after we leave. This is definitely unacceptable.”
Chinamasa walked away as Khumalo was speaking loudly.
He was confronted by MPs who accused him of inciting political violence after he told villagers those opposed to Zanu PF’s controversial land reforms were enemies.
Chinamasa was addressing a tension-filled meeting at Nedziwa Business Centre meant to find solutions to political violence that recently rocked the area. The Zanu PF Manicaland deputy provincial secretary for information and publicity Charles Samuriwo has also lodged a complaint against the alleged misconduct of Lynette Karenyi, MP for Chimanimani West.
Chinamasa is said to have complained to Jomic accusing Khumalo of “bad behaviour” after the emotive meeting organised to deal with escalating violence in Chimanimani.
Khumalo yesterday confirmed Jomic will discuss the matter today.
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Chimanasa was not available for comment. But Karenyi denied assaulting Samuriwo saying: “I did not assault him. He interjected while I was being interviewed and I told him that Zanu PF is causing violence in Chimanimani.”
Samuriwo, in a letter to the Jomic secretariat complained that Karenyi was “grandstanding in face of the Press highlighting trivialities at the expense of progressive issues that should advance the nation’s social, political and economic agenda”.
“She wanted to find out what I had said to the press threateningly pointing at me with her finger and other members from my party took offence at her behaviour,” said Samuriwo in the letter.
“Her intention was clearly to incite and agitate her supporters into violence, taking her lead and assault me,” said Samuriwo.
He said he shudders to think what could have happened had the police not swiftly moved in to diffuse the situation.
At least 12 MDC-T activists from the area have sought refuge at the MDC-T’s provincial offices after they fled their homes following attacks by alleged Zanu PF supporters.
Another 32 are living with friends and relatives after fleeing their homes.
