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MDC-T dossier ‘exposes violations’

Politics
PRIME MINISTER Morgan Tsvangirai recently dispatched Minister of State in his office, Jameson Timba, around the region to meet Sadc leaders with a dossier chronicling events of politically-motivated violence and violations.

PRIME MINISTER Morgan Tsvangirai recently dispatched Minister of State in his office, Jameson Timba, around the region to meet Sadc leaders with a dossier chronicling events of politically-motivated violence and violations.

Report by Moses Matenga

This was triggered by the alleged killing of 12-year-old Christpowers Maisiri in a suspected petrol bomb explosion at the end of February in Headlands, Manicaland.

Several cases of politically motivated violence and violations against the MDC-T have since been reported, with the latest being Sunday’s raid of Tsvangirai’s private communications offices in Avondale, Harare. Four employees of the party — Thabani Mpofu, Felix Matsinde, Mehluli Tshuma and Warship Dumba — were arrested after allegations of impersonating the police and breaching the Official Secrets Act.

Human rigths lawyer Beatrice Mtetwa was also arrested for allegedly obstructing the course of justice when she demanded to see a police search warrant when cops pounced on Mpofu’s home and rummaged through it.

The dossier Timba took to South Africa, Malawi, Tanzania, Mozambique and Angola has since sparked a furore in the inclusive government, with Zanu PF accusing Tsvangirai and his MDC-T party of exaggerating the political situation and seeking intervention in the country. Below is a summarised version of the dossier.

January 1: Chisumbanje villagers were arrested for claiming back their land from Green Fuel.

January 1: Two MDC youths members in Chivi were arrested after a Zanu PF supporter made fabricated report that they possessed firearms.

January 2: War veterans’ leader Jabulani Sibanda ordered MDC supporters in Makoni be denied farming inputs for ditching Zanu PF.

January 2: Happison Ncube, MDC branch chairman in Bulawayo, was arrested. The ex-soldier handed himself to the police after officers left a message that he report at Luveve Police Station.

January 2: Tendai Gumbo in Bulawayo was arrested for singing Zanu PF and Robert Mugabe were rotten.

January 2: Voter registration activists in Bulawayo were living in fear following a police clampdown.

January 4: Elton Mangoma MDC deputy treasurer-general faced charges of insulting Mugabe at a rally.

January 4: Shantel Rusike (Bulawayo) appeared in court facing charges of sending an image of a naked Mugabe via Whatsapp.

January 4: Seventeen Chisumbanje villagers appeared in court.

University of Zimbabwe barred MDC youth chairperson Solomon Madzore from resuming studies.

January 8: Four MDC officials were served with summons to appear at the Chinhoyi Magistrates’ Court for undermining the authority of the President.

January 8: MDC supporters were denied registering as voters at the Masvingo RG’s Office.

January 9: Appeal was launched against a court decision to deny bail to ZimRights’ Leo Chamahwinya and three others.

January 9: Soldiers deployed in Mberengwa harassed villagers.

January 10: William Sibanda, an MDC supporter, was abducted by an alleged CIO operative in Matabeleland North.

January 11: Ncube was arrested by the military two weeks earlier and placed in handcuffs and leg irons as police searched his house.

January 12: Chief Negomo demanded $1,1 million from a commercial farmer at Tavydale Farm, Pip Mattison, as compensation for 50 farmers whose maize crop was destroyed.

January 14: ZimRights director Okay Machisa was charged by police for allegedly conspiring to commit voter registration fraud.

January 14: Human rights campaigners urged the government to stop police shoot-to-kill policy.

January 15: Okay Machisa was taken to court and remanded in prison.

January 16: Gedd Scott Westham, an American medical volunteer, was deported.

January 16: US ambassador Bruce Wharton abandoned a tour of projects in Manicaland prematurely after Zanu PF supporters demonstrated against US-imposed sanctions.

January 16: Beatrice Mtetwa accused the State of abusing the justice delivery system of being political.

January 16: Jabulani Sibanda threatened villagers in Chipinge with death if they continued to support MDC.

January 18: Irvine Dzingirai, the Zanu PF MP for Chivi South, allegedly declared himself owner of Renco Mine.

January 28: Dzingirai occupied Renco Mine and denied RioZim management access to the mine.

January 29: ZRP Commissioner General Augustine Chihuri, told wives of senior police officers in Mashonaland West to support Zanu PF.

January 29: Fifteen people were injured after a group of soldiers in Chiadzwa beat them up.

January 30: Ronald Chikambure of Zvishavane was arrested for putting his face on a portrait where Mugabe was inspecting a guard of honour.

January 31: Kwekwe terror outfit Al-Shabab blocked meeting on draft constitution

January 31: Leo Chamahwinya, the ZimRights official was denied bail.

February 1: Webster Shamu, Minister for Media, Information and Publicity and his secretary George Charamba defied a principals’ directive to meet Tsvangirai on the state of the media.

February 2: Flea market operators in Chitungwiza’s Unit “O” were forced to buy Zanu PF party cards to operate stalls.

February 4: Police in Lupane arrested 40 people who were trying to register as voters.

February 4: A nurse at Mukore Clinic in Bikita denied medical treatment to MDC members.

February 6: Zanu PF supporters in Mwashumba village, Nyanga, destroyed maize crop for Taurai Sadowera.

February 6: Police raided Bulawayo offices of the National Youth Development Trust

February 6: Plumtree police interrogated two Habakkuk Trust leaders for allegedly inciting hatred among Zinwa employees.

February 6: NYDT members Brilliant Goboza (22) and Ashton Ncube (19) were freed at Lupane Magistrates’ Court before they appeared in court.

February 8: High Court judge Justice Mwayera granted ZimRights activist Dorcas Shereni bail.

February 8: Zinasu leaders, Pride Mkono and secretary-general Tryvine Musokeri were acquitted after spending weeks in remand prison.

In Gwanda, Clemence Zikhali was sentenced to three months in prison for using obscene language against Mugabe.

February 8: ZimRights boss was formally charged for allegedly conspiring to commit fraud or alternatively publishing or communicating falsehoods prejudicial to the State.

February 9: More than 500 students were evicted from halls of residence at the UZ for protests staged late last year.

February 10: Sibanda warned traditional leaders against accommodating MDC supporters.

February 10: Calvin Chair of Magunje was arrested for complaining about corruption in the police force.

February 11, Police raided Zimbabwe Peace Project and confiscated documents.

February 11: Journalists were barred from covering the trial of 29 MDC members accused of murdering a police officer in 2011. lFebruary 13: Police arrested and assaulted nine Woza members for protesting outside Parliament.

February 16: Gwanda police raided the home of former MP Thandeka Zinti Mkandla.

February 19: Police announced ban on “specially designed radios”. Stuart Wutawunashe, MDC activist in Mabvuku, went missing.

February 20: NewsDay journalist Obey Manayiti, arrested for allegedly insulting a Zanu PF official, was released.

February 20: Police knocked down Zesn offices gate in Harare searching for subversive material.

February 20: Armed detectives stormed the home of MDC MP for Luveve Reggie Moyo searching for military equipment.

February20: MDC members putting posters for the Chitungwiza Yes vote referendum launch were attacked by Zanu PF youths.

February 20: Police said they would crack down on rights groups operating illegally to discredit Zanu PF.

February 21: Armed people broke into Masvingo offices of Zimbabwe Election Support Network.

February 21: Julius Magarangoma, MDC Manicaland chairperson, was acquitted at the Mutare Magistrates’ Court for threatening to kill a Buhera headman three years ago.

February 23: Christpowers Maisiri, son of an MDC official in Headlands, died after a petrol bomb attack by suspected Zanu PF members.