via Violence overshadows MDC-T rally in Epworth | SW Radio Africa by Tichaona Sibanda on Monday, May 5, 2014
Scenes of violence marred the end of an MDC-T rally in Epworth on Sunday, which left 14 activists injured, two of them seriously, a senior party official said on Monday.
Obert Gutu, the spokesman for Harare province, told SW Radio Africa the orgy of violence was calculated as the perpetrators launched the unprovoked attack soon after party leader Morgan Tsvangirai had left the venue of the rally.
Gutu blamed ZANU PF youths for the violence, emphasizing that some of their activists easily identified most of the perpetrators as belonging to the ruling party.
‘It was a well orchestrated attack. They waited for the party leadership to drive off before they attacked our members who were dismantling the tent and the public address system.
‘The attackers used stones, knobkerries and other dangerous weapons and the whole episode took less than 10 minutes,’ Gutu added.
Two of the seriously injured victims were admitted to the Avenues clinic. Tambudzai Kalandi is in the intensive care unit after sustaining a broken leg and multiple body injuries, while Florence Motsi suffered serious head injuries.
Tsvangirai, accompanied by his shadow Home Affairs Minister Lillian Timveos and national organizing secretary Nelson Chamisa, visited the two women in hospital on Monday.
A statement released after Tsvangirai’s visit said the party leader deplored the attack, insisting that in the face of violence,, the movement would continue to engage.
‘What is important to emphasize is that when ZANU PF sees people on the roll, it turns to its default mode which is violence, fear and intimidation. We need to recognize that the MDC is a popular movement while ZANU PF has a challenge of converting their harvest of fear, violence and intimidation into popularity,’ Tsvangirai said.
Meanwhile in Chinhoyi, members of the MDC-T ‘renewal team’ allegedly stormed the provincial offices in the town where they made off with party assets, according to the provincial organizing secretary Wilson Makanyaire.
The party is yet to carry out an audit to see what was removed from the offices.
Makanyaire said the perpetrators forced their way past a security guard, who alerted members of the MDC-T. The team was inside the offices for about an hour where they had a meeting before they took away, files, computers and party cards.
Initial attempts to eject members of the renewal team failed as they outnumbered those from the MDC-T. Makanyaire said reinforcements were called in and on realizing the tables had turned on them, the renewal team were forced off the premises amid a lot of abusive insults between the protagonists.
COMMENTS
“A leader. .is like a shepherd. He stays behind the flock, letting the most nimble go out ahead, whereupon the others follow, not realizing that all along they are being directed from behind.”
― Nelson Mandela.
A nation that is afraid to let its people judge the truth and falsehood in an open market is a nation that is afraid of its people.
John F. Kennedy
Doctor, I hope you don’t think you the only one that loves quotes. Said with a smile…
There is no Zim Nation, to my thinking.
ZANU has made sure of that.
Everyone is busy scratching away at survival under an oppressive system. Well, almost everyone and the feeling of belonging to a Nation is non existent.
Obviously the MDC is still a force to reckon with, otherwise why send thugs to disrupt its meetings?
The people will not be fooled.
Ngoto you are a wise man. Those that I refer to, and those that think they are the nation are Zanu pf. BUT The people will not be fooled. This is a quote from Hutu” When certain people have brains made with cement, you will never change their minds because when the cement drys nothing can get through. You only have to wait for them to fall then the cement cracks, only now when everything goes through and it is too late.”
LOL
Thanks Hutu,
I am not so sure about the “wise man” tag, though!
Lets hope that the Zimbo sees through what’s playing out at the moment.
All the projects to distroy tsvangrai and his party are failing so zanupf is resorting back to its trusted way i.e. violance to intimidate.
Compare this with the Herald report and you will see that very soon we will be back to 2008 if not already there. How can a whole chairman state in a national newspaper that they were provoked by persons who were merely wearing their partys t shirts.
It’s shocking to say the least that in this day and age to think people change their mindset by lashing violence on them. Where is the political freedom vanhuwe? ZANU ka!!!!!!!
Zanu pf malcontents!!!!!
Mbiti et’al are in zanupf mode.
Using violent tactics means Tsvangirayi is still a force to reckon
The only language the two gukurahundi parties ZANU PF and the MEDC-T know very well is violence!
Not again Straight Shooter!!!
Could you go watch TV or something?
Not before the two gukurahundi parties are defeated and consigned to the dustbin of history!!
Straight shooter, I have been following your pathetic contributions in this forum for a while now. I am reminded of animal farm – the sheep were so blinkered that each time other animals complained or tried to have rational conversation they would drown down the speakers’ voices by repeatedly bleating “Four legs good, two legs bad!’
Once a snake always a snake
Boxer will condinue working as usual until he could no longer do so. And he will be sold fer whiskey by Napoleon.
Fortunately Benjamin knows what is taking place,
zvicha chinja chete