MDC-T organising secretary Nelson Chamisa yesterday dared President Robert Mugabe to stop his party’s notorious shadowy group Chipangano from terrorising Harare residents to prove he is sincere in his calls for peace.
The Mbare-based Chipangano is a violent political gang which features at most scenes of political violence defending Zanu PF positions by beating up perceived opposition members.
Chamisa yesterday said the 87-year-old Zanu PF leader, who has of late taken every opportunity to lambast violence, must put his sincerity to the test by reining in the Chipangano rabble rousers.
The youthful and popular MDC-T leader was addressing a rally in his constituency of Kuwadzana when he challenged President Mugabe’s sincerity.
Chipangano has caused havoc in Harare where it has literally crippled the operations of elected public officials including the mayor and his council who have all but given up on the group’s disruptive and violent activities.
Deputy mayor Emmanuel Chiroto recently threatened to resign out of frustration while co-Minister of Home Affairs, Theresa Makone told NewsDay last week she has failed to rein in the Mbare hooligans.
Zanu PF leadership also appears to be at sea on how to deal with the group. Some senior party leaders have claimed “ownership” of the group, publicly pledging the party would stand by them to the extent of providing legal counsel if its members were arrested.
Others, like party spokesperson Rugare Gumbo, have disowned the group.
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The group however, appears immune to arrest because they have not been arrested even though their pictures were splashed in newspapers as they beat up policemen at Parliament building.
Chamisa yesterday dared President Mugabe to “walk the talk” if he is sincere.
“This violence must stop. (President) Mugabe said there should be peace. The call for peace should migrate from your lips and stop contradictions.
Violence must stop and this demon of beating up people should not continue. But for it to stop, we need to pray. Zanu PF believes in Chipangano, but we are on total promise and believe in chirangano (promise),” Chamisa said.
President Mugabe’s “loudest” call for non-violence was made during his speech at Parliament recently. As he spoke, suspected members of Chipangano were beating up perceived MDC supporters outside the building.
The following day Chipangano was at it again. They besieged Machipisa Township, seeking to seize market stalls from suspected MDC sympathisers.
They faced resistance and the resultant clashes transformed the township into a battlefield. Chamisa yesterday described the inclusive government as an untenable donkey and horse- affair.
He said his party would oppose the Human Rights Bill and Electoral Amendment Bill arguing Zanu PF wanted people to let criminals off the hook.
“We have two Bills that we will oppose in Parliament. We have the Human Rights Bill where Zanu PF is saying let bygones be bygones but you can’t say those who raped, torched people’s houses and killed should be let free. We want a proper truth and national reconciliation process and people have to be asked why they killed, why they stole people’s property.”
“As MDC we are also against the Electoral Amendment Bill because Zanu PF wants registration to be polling station-based, but it’s dangerous because people in rural areas will have a polling station at the headman’s house with chiefs and Zanu PF people,” he said.
Chamisa, who is also the Minister of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) said Parliamentary debates should be beamed live on television so that people know how their MPs were performing as some MPs went to sleep in Parliament.
