via NCA activists hospitalized following an attack from ZANU PF supporters | SW Radio Africa by Nomalanga Moyo January 7, 2014
Three Harare-based National Constitutional Assembly (NCA) activists were hospitalized on Sunday after they were attacked by ZANU PF supporters, the new party has claimed.
A party statement said Taurai Maravanyika, Patson Mangwiro and Olibeletsi Noko were amongst the NCA activists who were campaigning for the forthcoming Sunningdale council by-election, when ZANU PF supporters pounced on them.
The three were admitted at the Avenues Clinic in Harare and discharged late Monday and are now recovering at their homes.
Media reports Monday quoted ZANU PF Harare provincial chairman Amos Midzi denying any knowledge of the incident. Midzi claimed that ZANU PF was committed to peace and that the party’s campaign strategy ‘has not really changed.’
But the NCA on Tuesday insisted that their members were attacked as they were putting up posters in Mbare for Takura Gadzira, the party’s candidate in the by-election scheduled for January 25th.
The NCA fingered ZANU PF candidate Maureen Nyemba and her group of supporters in the incident which was reported at Stodart Police Camp.
NCA spokesperson Madock Chivasa said it was expected that Midzi would deny the incident because it was ZANU PF’s ‘tried and tested strategy’ to inflict violence on opponents and deny responsibility.
Speaking to SW Radio Africa, Chivasa said: “It is clear Nyemba is guilty. Those people who attacked us were with her and they live with her. They (ZANU PF) are simply denying the obvious.”
The NCA statement also said that the party will continue with its peaceful campaign in the hope that “primitive parties like ZANU PF will learn from us to be civilized in their approach to politics.”
Nyemba lost the contest for the Sunningdale parliamentary seat to MDC-T’s Margaret Matienga in last year’s election and has now resorted to vying for the council sear.
Also contesting in this month’s by-elections, which will be held in Karoi and Zaka too, is the MDC-T while the other MDC faction led by Welshman Ncube is not taking part.
It will be for the first time the newly formed NCA political party is contesting in any election since its launch in September last year.
COMMENTS
Well Lovemore what do you say now? You sold out now it’s backfiring.
NCA kkkkkkkkk . It’s too early to be ‘crying babies’ you were putting the blame on tsvangison and now! Does the new constitution allow violent campaign? Tomorrow you shall be singing the ‘Stolen and Rigged Election’ song. Shame
ZANU PF was committed to peace and that the party’s campaign strategy ‘has not really changed.’
The shameful face of politics in Zimbabwe – always violence.
Amos Midzi denying knowledge? And so we suppose a tokolosh beat them up! Shame on SADC ! Shame on the AU! Shame on Zuma! Free and fair elections indeed! God is watching! Open your bibles and see what happens to the violent! It is not a question of if but a question of when! Degrees in violence!!! That is what we are seeing!
Jack the Rabbit read my thoughts because I wanted to say exactly the same words, Madhuku used to talk nonsense when MDC supporters were beaten, now we want to hear him talk, he thought by supporting Zanu Pf and turning against MDC he will be spared from their wrath, not with Zanu pf my friend u are a friend this moment and the next minute you are an enemy.
Did Madhuku ever support Zanupf’s violence on opponents or he only differed with Tswangirai’s party on some issues? The way some people write here suggests that MDC supporters could have attacked Madhuku’s people disguising themselves as Zanupf. How does one celebrate repression by Zanupf really? Is it not time to identify common ground and where there is agreement, strengthen those areas instead of laughing at a fellow Zimbabwean who is also a victim? Shallow politics will never take us anywhere. The NCA is a victim now just the as the MDCs have been brutalized and just as Zapu was brutalized. Remember in the 1980s Harare women even striped themselves naked publicly insulting Joshua Nkomo. Many people in Harare then believed that Mugabe was a saint until he shamelessly sent for Tswangira’s primitive beating and the near murder of Nelson Chamisa. Any genuine member of any opposition has no reason to laugh at another one that has fallen victim.
Lovemore went out of his way to stroke a snake and he got bitten. Hopefully for him it’s once bitten twice shy. He has been involved in the Zimbabwe situation long enough to know that with Zanu everything changes after an election.He was aligning him self with Zanu pf.No one is laughing at him .Just reminding him of his folly.