War vets accuse Midzi of promoting rape

via War vets accuse Midzi of promoting rape 11 January 2015

ABOUT 300 angry war veterans and residents of Harare South’s Hopley and Ushewekunze suburbs Sunday petitioned former Zanu PF provincial chairperson Amos Midzi, Mbare MP Tendai Savanhu and local MP Shadreck Mashayamombe over allegations of promoting rape and corruption.

This is seen as part and parcel of the ongoing factional fighting within Zanu PF as Midzi is known to belong to ousted VP Joice Mujuru’s faction.

The petition will also be handed over to the President’s office and the local government minister Ignatius Chombo on Monday.

The petition says the three legislators should be recalled from parliament on allegations of “promoting corruption, rape and thuggery which are against the principles of the party”.

Residents accused the heavy weights of illegally allocating residential stands in Mbare, Harare South and Epworth. The petition which Newzimbabwe.com has in its possession, also suggests the three got into office through corruption.

Those who spoke to Newzimbabwe.com were scathing.

“We have hundreds of people who were abused by Savanhu and Midzi because of the political ammunition they were having and now it is the time to tell the truth,” said a war veteran who identified himself as Cde Mabhunumuchapera.

“We had our children raped during the past two election campaign periods and we had nowhere to report the cases because of the immunity Savanhu and Midzi where having from the police,” he added.

“After that they displaced us from our stands here in Hopley giving them to their lieutenants.”

Sarudzai Mutetwa said: “Savanhu and Midzi should not continue as MPs because of what they did to us here. President Robert Mugabe should replace them with other cadres because these people are cruel. They used the youth who used to be led by Cde Jimu Kinaka to terrorize our girl children. They used to take them from our homes in the middle of the night under the pretext of night camps and raped them in the process, and we are not happy about that.”

Both Midzi and Savanhu could not be reached for comment but their co-accused Harare South legislator Mashayamombe said he had no case to answer.

“As you can see all the allegations are levelled against Savanhu and Midzi and I do not see where I am coming in. What I can say is that all these allegations must be directed to the concerned people not me.

“I also want to state that everyone with complaints against me should direct them to me as what has happened to all those who want land in my constituency. It is true that there has been a land dispute in  my constituency and I have tried as the responsible MP to address the problem.

“There are people including war veterans who have approached me with those complaints and I have since taken their names to the local government Minister Cde Ignatius Chombo and we are waiting for his action.”