via Stop violence: Tsvangirai – DailyNews Live 16 February 2015
HARARE – Opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai has implored President Robert Mugabe to put a stop to Zanu PF-perpetrated violence that he says is resurfacing in many parts of the country.
Speaking at his Highlands residence on Thursday after a tour of the Harare high density suburb of Mabvuku, Tsvangirai also vowed to resist attempts by the ruling party to declare some places no-go areas for him and other Zanu PF foes around the country.
“Whoever from Zanu PF is encouraging unemployed youths, taking advantage of their situation, should be ashamed and will pay for the consequences.
“I am surprised that in this age there are still people who believe in being violent and creating no-go areas. Obviously, we will defy their attempts because I totally refuse to allow Zanu PF to dictate to me which places in the country I can or cannot visit.
“I will not have Mabvuku become a no-go area to me, never,” Tsvangirai said.
His comments followed thuggish moves by Zanu PF supporters clad in their party regalia and using a party vehicle inscribed “Zanu PF Harare Province”, who barricaded the main road leading into Mabvuku where the former prime minister was assessing service delivery by Harare City Council, which is led by his party.
This led to violence between the Zanu PF members and MDC supporters, as the former unsuccessfully sought to bar Tsvangirai from touring the suburb.
In the end, Tsvangirai’s motorcade had to negotiate its way through the bush to get into the suburb, where the former premier’s first stop was Mabvuku Police Station where he registered a complaint against the violent yobs.
A vehicle that was carrying a crew from the Daily News had to speed off after stones were thrown at it by the ruling party thugs who were trying to prevent the journalists from taking pictures of the violent scenes.
Some Zanu PF members who spoke to the Daily News and disassociated themselves from the anarchy claimed that the violent party youths had been bussed in from Mbare by unnamed provincial party bigwigs to cause chaos.
In the skirmishes that ensued between supporters of the two feuding parties, MDC councillor for Mabvuku’s Ward 21, Munyaradzi Kufahakutizwe, and former Harare city councillor Peter Marange, were pelted with stones and suffered serious head injuries.
Tsvangirai said Thursday’s incident and other cases that were being reported in many parts of the country were a serious indictment on President Robert Mugabe, who is now also the chairman of both the African Union and the Southern African Development Community (Sadc).
“This business of political violence should be condemned in the strongest possible terms. We have not taken that route ourselves not because we are not capable of being violent too but because we believe it is not necessary given the challenges the country is facing,” he added.
Tsvangirai also toured Old Tafara on Thursday to have a look at some of the 27 boreholes that have been drilled by council in the area, with help from a foreign company, to ease perennial water woes afflicting the area.
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