via Zanu PF supporters in violent clashes – NewsDay Zimbabwe July 9, 2015 by Moses Matenga
RIOT police had to be called to Goromonzi on Thursday to control Zanu PF supporters that were fighting running battles during district elections.
The fights broke out after rival factions accused each other of poll rigging and employing divisive tactics.
When a NewsDay crew arrived at the Goromonzi Zanu PF offices in the afternoon, scores of ruling party supporters were exchanging harsh words while threatening to beat up ach other for employing “Gamatox tactics”.
New Mashonaland East Zanu PFmprovincial chairman Joel Biggie Matiza confirmed the chaos saying there were “big problems” in the area.
He said the restructuring exercise had since been postponed to deal with the challenges.
“We have postponed it. I am not sure what exactly happened,” Matiza said. “I am yet to be briefed, but there are lots of problems and when we settle as a province, we will have to address them.”
Zanu chairman of Broomley district David Mambozoukuni said the meeting was stopped after evidence emerged that some activists wanted to impose candidates.
“We were told that only 15 instead mof 20 districts would vote and that is when we started asking questions,”he said.
“People then said if it is like that, elections should stop and people started singing. There were skirmishes and the riot police was called to observe the situation. The strategy was to have us dispersed so that they go ahead with the elections, but we refused to go.”
Zanu PF supporters interviewed by NewsDay claimed there were attempts by a rival camp to impose officials perceived to be loyal to a camp belonging to ousted former Vice-President Joice Mujuru.
Kagonye for the chaos in the area alleging she wanted to impose her own loyalists.
“We want new districts not these (Aeneas) Chigwedere ones. We have serious problems with our MP here,she is behind all this chaos,” one supporter said.
Kagonye could not be reached for comment on Thursday.
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