Source: MDC youths warn Zanu PF – DailyNews Live
Mugove Tafirenyika 18 July 2017
HARARE – MDC youths, still smarting from last week’s bloody skirmishes
with the authorities, have warned their Zanu PF counterparts against
perpetrating violence by promising they will respond aggressively to
harassment and bloodletting which has been blamed on the former liberation
movement supporters by peace-building and rights monitoring groups.
This comes as there is resurgence of violence and fresh harassment of
people suspected to be loyal to the opposition by terror gangs claiming to
be Zanu PF youths.
MDC national youth assembly chairperson Happymore Chidziva yesterday
declared that opposition youths will defend their parents against
attacks.
“I have always said that no one has exclusive rights on violence, we have
said again Zanu PF has no monopoly over violence so we can’t remain
victims of violence, we are ready for whatever it takes by all means
necessary we shall defend the people,” Chidziva told the Daily News.
“Actually, I am collecting all names and profiles of notorious Zanu PF
thugs and murderers so that when we become government, the law will be
allowed to take its course”.
Chidziva said youths were angry as they felt let down by Zanu PF, which he
accused of failing to deliver the 2,2 million fresh jobs it promised
during the run-up to the 2013 elections.
According to successive monthly reports by rights groups such as Heal
Zimbabwe Trust and the Zimbabwe Peace Project on political violations,
Zanu PF has continuously dominated the perpetrators list, often with no
action being taken against them by authorities.
Reports of ruling party terror groups have emanated from Kwekwe where the
notorious “Al Shabaab” group is reportedly on the prowl, harassing
residents and traders.
The group, named after the Somali-based terrorist affiliate of Al-Qaeda
fighting to turn the country into a fundamentalist Islamic State, has been
blamed for much of the intra and inter-party political violence in the
Midlands Province.
At the same time, vendors and residents in Harare’s Mbare suburb are
reportedly being terrorised by members of the Chipangano terror group.
The group is allegedly led by Zanu PF youth chairperson for ward 4, Kuda
Mavhura, and provincial chairperson for youths, Edson Takataka.
Takataka has, however, denied the allegations saying “I do not know what
is happening exactly and I am yet to receive reports to that effect”.
An international think-tank, the United States Centre for Preventive
Action (CPA) warned last month that Zimbabwe risks plunging into violence
even before the crunch 2018 polls.
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