POLICE have confiscated 15 motorcycles belonging to the MDC-T meant to be used as the party’s campaign vehicles in Mashonaland Central province.
Report by Feluna Nleya
The motorbikes were seized at the weekend from the house of a party employee, Susan Mawire, whom the police took in for questioning before releasing her.
The police confirmed the seizure and said they were investigating the possibility that the motorcycles could have been smuggled into the country.
The vehicles were brought into the country by Laphonic Investments, a company reportedly owned by the MDC-T party.
MDC-T lawyer Jeremiah Bamu confirmed the development, saying police from the Law and Order section in Bindura took away the motorbikes.
“Police confiscated 15 motorbikes belonging to Laphonic Investments, a company which is owned by the MDC,” Bamu said.
“They arrived with a search warrant at (party employee) Susan Mawire’s house where the motorbikes were being kept. They allege that the motorbikes were smuggled into the country.”
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MDC-T spokesperson Douglas Mwonzora said the incident was a deliberate ploy by law enforcement agents to cripple his party ahead of elections expected this year.
“The MDC has always acted in terms of the law. Its dealings are above board. We deny the baseless accusations that we have smuggled anything into the country,” Mwonzora said in an interview yesterday.
“The accusations are simply meant to justify confiscation of private property. It is also meant to make sure that the MDC does not effectively organise for the coming elections.
“This behaviour portrays the siege mentality and panic that has gripped Zanu PF. It is not an offence for a party to buy cars or motorbikes for its officials to use in mobilising support.”
Police spokesperson Chief Superintendent Paul Nyathi confirmed the police were in possession of the motorbikes, but did not link them to the MDC-T.
“As police, we are investigating circumstances under which 15 Jialing motorbikes were found hidden in Susan Mawire’s dining-room at Manenga business centre in Bindura. We want to establish whether those motorbikes were not smuggled into the country and if they were properly cleared,” Nyathi said.
“It is our duty to investigate when we receive information on any crime that has been reported and that is what we are doing.”
Mawire was briefly detained by the police on Friday morning and was released at around 1pm.
This is not the first time police have seized MDC-T campaign vehicles.
During the 2008 election campaign, police in Matabeleland North confiscated a BMW luxury vehicle which had reportedly been donated by a well-wisher in South Africa for MDC-T leader Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai’s use.
Police impounded the vehicle allegedly because it was being driven by an unauthorised driver in terms of the Temporary Import Permit regulations. The vehicle is still being held at Lupane Police Station.
Also in the same year, during the presidential runoff election campaign, police briefly impounded two MDC-T campaign buses Tsvangirai was using for his countrywide campaigns.
The buses, painted red and emblazoned with the party symbol and Tsvangirai’s picture and boldly written Morgan Is More, were later released.
The police claimed the two buses were not properly registered, but the MDC-T argued otherwise.
