MDC-T Manicaland provincial leaders have accused Zanu PF of roping in soldiers based at 3 Brigade Headquarters in Mutare to frogmarch residents to President Robert Mugabe’s rally at Sakubva Stadium last Friday.
BY KENNETH NYANGANI
The opposition party’s provincial spokesperson Trevor Saruwaka said they had received reports of people who were force-marched to the rally by soldiers in Mutare.
“We have since received reports from our supporters, who claim that they were forced to attend the rally by the soldiers at 3 Brigade Headquarters in Chikanga. Soldiers should stay in barracks and protect the nation, not the party Zanu PF,” he said.
The Mutasa Central legislator added that it was unfair for soldiers to protect the ruling party while they were receiving salaries from the national Treasury.
“It’s important that they stick to their jobs of protecting the nation, not the party, because the MDC-T and other opposition parties and even other people who are not into politics are also contributing to their salaries.
“I was shocked to see pictures of old, aged people attending the rally, some around 80s. We even saw some schoolchildren. So Zanu PF lied to us that it was an interface of the youths,” he said.
Human rights lawyer Passmore Nyakureba said it was sad that Zimbabweans’ rights were being infringed by the Mugabe regime.
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“I am very disappointed because Zimbabweans’ rights are being infringed. I am told there were some schoolchildren who attended the rally on a day they were supposed to be at school,” he said.
Army spokesperson Colonel Alphios Makotore could not be reached for comment as his mobile phone went unanswered. But Zanu PF Manicaland provincial youth chairman Mubuso Chinguno scoffed at the allegations raised by the MDC-T, saying they always anticipated such negative reports from the opposition.
“It’s not true. The opposition will always be opposition. They just want to seek relevance. How come they oppose everything, even a progressive policy like the land reform? They always opposed where the historical imbalances were addressed,” he said.
“They are bad losers and they don’t want to accept reality. Mugabe is a crowd puller. We had (thousands of people) at Sakubva Stadium. I challenge any party in the country that even if they address a rally at Sakubva Stadium, they will not reach the feat.”
