ZAKA — MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirai has accused President Robert Mugabe of hypocrisy — charging the Zanu PF leader preached peace during the day while he was aware of the people in his party that were letting blood on their political opponents during the night.
Report by Staff Reporter
“We have politicians who pretend and shed crocodile tears.
Mugabe stands with me and my bloodless hands saying we don’t want violence. That’s hypocrisy because he knows the people who are committing violence are Zanu PF,” the Prime Minister said.
Tsvangirai made the remarks while addressing party supporters after touring homes of victims of political violence in Zaka, Masvingo province, on Saturday.
He was in an area where two MDC-T activists were burnt to death while others were maimed in the run-up to the June 2008 presidential election runoff when they were petrol-bombed while sleeping inside party offices.
The Prime Minister assured the electorate that the next elections would only be held if free and fair conditions prevailed.
“I will not walk to State House over dead bodies. I won’t burn down a building to get a rat,” Tsvangirai said.
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“We will embark on rehabilitative and restorative justice because without that, fear will become a common factor in this country. How
can we go for elections if fear is common?” he queried. The MDC-T leader said he was aware of Zanu PF plans to engage the army to spearhead its violent campaign to intimidate “unarmed civilians”. He said there were plans to roll out election terror units that were being trained by senior military men.
Tsvangirai said the next elections must be observed by Sadc, the African Union and the United Nations to ensure security of the vote and the voter was guaranteed.
“We are remembering our heroes, others are here. There are two who died in the office. Others survived, but their faces have been disfigured for the rest of their lives. We know the people who did this. There is a Colonel Mayoyo and the members of the ZRP (Zimbabwe Republic Police) and the militia. These people are known. Today I was at the hospital, to see our member who was beaten up and had his legs burnt. Four years into the inclusive government and we have such things happening. He knows the people who did this (to him) and he told me it was Sabhuku Maunganidze.
“Perpetrators are walking scot-free, laughing and boasting for committing a crime. What is the role of the police? Are the police still there?”
Tsvangirai said it was ironic that 29 Glen View MDC-T activists accused of killing Police Inspector Petros Mutedza had been denied bail since last year while seven police officers who allegedly murdered a suspect in Shamva early this year were out on bail.
Meanwhile, emotions ran high as Tsvangirai and his wife Elizabeth Macheka met victims of political violence in the province.
Survivors of the gruesome attacks failed to contain their emotions as they narrated what transpired on the day they were petrol-bombed.
“We were at Jerera growth point. We lost two of our colleagues after they poured more than 20 litres of petrol (into the room they were sleeping after locking it from outside). That’s all I can say,” said one of the victims in between sobs.
