Zanu PF yesterday disowned a suspected party vigilante group accused of causing mayhem in Harare and blamed the wayward behaviour on frustration caused by poor service delivery.
Addressing a Jomic provincial liaison committee meeting yesterday, Zanu PF Harare provincial chairman Amos Midzi rejected the Mbare-based shadowy group Chipangano, which has been accused of terrorising residents opposed to the former ruling party, was aligned to Zanu PF.
“We can have other causes like frustration in life. People in most suburbs are frustrated by lack of service delivery and you find high volumes of uncollected garbage that causes cholera and no water in some cases and out of this frustration, it takes a small provocation to cause violence,” Midzi said.
“If you go to hospitals, for example, you will realise how people are frustrated and I will tell you these frustrations cause conflicts.”
The Jomic committee comprises of Zanu PF, MDC-T and the MDC.
Officials from the two MDC formations accused the police of selective application of the law.
But Harare police spokesperson Inspector James Sabau accused party supporters of turning their social conflicts into political clashes.
“The problem we have as police is that social and economic issues are now being politicised. What we call political violence in Harare is caused by touts and people who fight, not as MDC or Zanu PF. If they disagree, they say it’s because (of) someone in Zanu PF or MDC. We have political leaders who want to achieve something and use youths. Let’s stand by our names and not say Zanu PF or MDC,” said Sabau.
