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Tsvangirai doubts Mugabe peace calls

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MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirai Thursday said he would not respect President Robert Mugabe’s calls for peace.

HEADLANDS: MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirai Thursday said he would not respect President Robert Mugabe’s calls for peace until police carry out thorough investigations into the fire death of a 12 year-old Headlands boy in a suspected politically motivated attack.

Report By Staff Reporter Tsvangirai was addressing an estimated 1 000 mourners at the burial of Christpowers Maisiri who died on Saturday night after fire gutted a bedroom hut where he was sleeping with his three siblings.

The MDC-T leader said on Tuesday Cabinet resolved that police and the Joint Implementation and Monitoring Committee (Jomic) would carry out a professional investigation and report their findings to the government.

“I will not believe his (Mugabe) words and calls for peace until Cabinet decisions are implemented,” Tsvangirai said.

Mugabe has repeatedly called for peace ahead of the forth coming elections expected in July and a referendum on the constitution to be held on March 16.

MDC-T has released names of Zanu PF members it accuses of killing the son of its Headlands deputy organising secretary Shepherd Maisiri and is demanding their arrest.

But police say their initial investigations have ruled out foul play in the case.

Tsvangirai said the forthcoming elections “must” be free and fair and there was need to deal with case of political violence before the situation worsens.

“What has happened today should be the last. People should have peaceful nights because fear has no place in a democratic society,” he said.

“I will not be part and parcel of an electoral process that will subvert the will of the people.

“We have to put an end to this violence so that our people can vote freely.” Tsvangirai said his party would not be deterred by attacks against its supporters.

Multimedia: Tracing the political violence. Click on the pointers of the Interactive map for more information on incidences of violence.

View Zimbabwe Political Violence map in a larger map

“These acts of violence will not deter us, we must maintain the vision of those who died for the struggle,” he said.

“No one should die in vain.

“People wanted me to quit politics after the death of my wife Susan in 2009 but I said I would fight for her vision to the final end.”

Tsvangirai said the violence was a desperate attempt by a “cornered” Zanu PF to hang on to power.

Meanwhile, Christpowers’ father said he was shocked that Headlands MP and Minister of Presidential Affairs Didymus Mutasa claimed his family was Zanu PF members.

“If I am Zanu PF where are they nowWhen my enemies (MDC-T) are helping me bury my son,” Maisiri said.

Hear what Zimbabweans have to say about the recent political violence:

No notable Zanu PF official attended the burial.

Maisiri said he named his son Christpowers after realising that only God could save him from attacks by Zanu PF people.

Maisiri received groceries, money and building material to reconstruct his home.

Deputy Prime Minister Thokozani Khupe, MDC-T national organising secretary Nelson Chamisa, MDC-T spokesperson Douglas Mwonzora and several ministers from the party attended the burial.