PRIME Minister Morgan Tsvangirai yesterday said the raid on his MDC-T party offices and confiscation of motorcycles by police showed that the security sector was working with Zanu PF.
Report by Staff Reporters
The Prime Minister’s spokesperson Luke Tamborinyoka described the conduct of the police as part of a much wider campaign by the security sector to undermine his party ahead of elections.
“It then raises doubts on whether legitimate elections can be held under such conditions. That is why the Prime Minister has been visiting guarantors of the Global Political Agreement so that they ensure a peaceful election,” he said. “It is the reason the Prime Minister went to Africa to avert holding another circus in the guise of an election as happened in the past.”
However, Tamborinyoka could not be drawn into revealing how the PM planned to act on the seizure of the motorbikes.
The MDC-T accused the police of breaking into their offices in Gwanda and seizing 10 motorcycles.
The police confirmed the seizure and said they were investigating the possibility that the motorbikes could have been smuggled into the country.
This follows a similar raid in Mashonaland Central, where police confiscated 25 motorcycles.
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The vehicles were brought into the country by Laphonic Investments, a company reportedly owned by the MDC-T.
There’s no love lost between securocrats and Tsvangirai, with the generals saying they can never meet with the Premier, whom they have described as “a malcontent“ and “psychiatric patient”.
On the other hand, Tsvangirai insists that elections cannot go ahead before security sector reforms.
Meanwhile, political analysts have described the raids on MDC-T offices as a pointer of things to come in the next election.
Effie Ncube, head of the National Association of Non-Governmental Organisations, said the MDC-T should hasten to inform Sadc on the situation before it deteriorated.
“It is a clear demonstration that the political playing field is not level and much tilted in favour of Zanu PF,” he said. “The confiscation of the motorbikes by the police has nothing to do with law enforcement in Zimbabwe, but only meant to cripple other parties and prop up Zanu PF.”
A political analyst, Gilbert Maphosa, said the campaign smacked of double standards, as Zanu PF was also distributing motorcycles yet the police left the party untouched.
“Maybe the same bikes being seized from MDC-T are the ones being handed out to Zanu PF, to serve the same campaign functions,” he said.
Police spokesperson Chief Superintendent Paul Nyathi declined to comment on the seizures of the bikes.
“We have already given you a comment on that matter. I do not know what other comment you want from me. (National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Charity) Charamba has already commented on that matter in the Press,” he said.
Pressed further in that MDC-T in Gwanda intends to report the police for breaking into their office to collect the bikes, Nyathi sounded agitated.
“Are you complaining on their behalf? Do you work for the MDC?” he asked. Recently, Zanu PF in Nkayi allegedly bought motorcycles for three former MDC councillors who defected to Zanu PF to use for campaigning ahead of the forthcoming elections.
