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MDC faces violence in its campaign in St Marys Chitungwiza
Zimbabwe Peace Project
March 04, 2008

A Chitungwiza magistrate's court today remanded in custody Marvellous Khumalo, an aspiring MP candidate for St Mary's Constituency (MDC Tsvangirai faction), Obert Muchawaya, aspiring councillor for Ward 8, Gomo aspiring councillor for Ward 2 and about eight members of the MDC Morgan Tsvangirai faction in St Mary's following a wave of violence that rocked the constituency on Friday 29 March. The group has been remanded in custody to the 18th of March just ten days before the harmonised elections on 29 March.

Tafadzwa Muranganwa of Zengeza 1, St Mary's constituency who escaped death by a whisker when Mike Chin'ai a chief security officer for Nota the deputy mayor for Chitungwiza and also an aspiring councillor for ward 8, attacked him with an axe on the head narrated the Friday incident to ZPP information department in the company of Constatine Tapera a campaign manager for one of the incarcerated to be councillors.

Muranganwa said the incident occurred on Friday afternoon when a group of Tsvangirai faction MDC members comprising mainly youths and women were going door to door in the neighbourhood of St Marys campaigning for aspiring candidates for the coming harmonised elections. Muranganwa said the group had been cleared by the police to do so but the police had also indicated that only 15 members could move around the neighbourhood. However, Muranganwa said as the group moved on the campaign trail residents in the neighbourhood got excited and started trailing the campaigners.

As the campaign trail moved a group was stopped by Chin'ai, Nota's chief security officer. It is alleged Chin'ai told the group that it could not proceed campaigning because the area was out of bounce for the opposition. The group insisted and Chin'ai fired shots in the air allegedly from a service pistol. Some MDC supporters fled away but Muranganwa with other four guys dared Chin'ai to shoot them allegedly saying they will never be ruled by a gun. Chin'ai fired more shots in the air that counted to nine and he allegedly ran out of bullets. As he was firing Muranganwa alleged Chin'ai was moving towards the direction of the youth and one of the youth handed him a small axe that he used to attack Muranganwa on the head. Muranganwa fell to the ground and his fellow remaining group members ran away.

Zanu PF youth chained the now flaccid Muranganwa, dragged him into a vehicle and drove him to a grave yard in Zengeza. He alleged that all the time in the car he was kicked and badly beaten up before he was dumped. Later on some well wishers picked him up and took him to the aspiring MP candidate for MDC Tsvangirai's residence. He alleged on arrival they were informed the MP together with some councillors were arrested on allegations of causing violence. He alleged that while at the MP's house the Zanu PF aspiring candidate, Nota came driving in front of a riot police truck. Muranganwa alleged he was handcuffed again and thrown into Nota's vehicle with riot police escorting him. He was taken to St Mary's police where he found his aspiring MP, two councillors and other MDC supporters including two women already booked on allegations of inciting violence in St Marys, he alleged they were also accused of axing a Zanu PF supporter. The police allegedly attempted to also book Muranganwa on allegations of causing violence. He was however later taken to Chitungwiza hospital in a police vehicle where he failed to get any assistance and was referred to another hospital in the same town and failed to get assistance again only to later get it in Harare after a couple of hours. He was stitched five stitches on the axe wound on the head and was detained in hospital and released on Monday morning.

Meanwhile, today he went to Makoni police station, Chitungwiza to report his violation and was allegedly instructed to report at St Marys police station where he reported and the officer in charge St Marys informed him that he was also being sought after, for an offence of insulting a CIO operative, he denied the charge and stated that the police where free to interrogate him on that charge of which the Officer in Charge allegedly informed him that the Law and Order police will allegedly deal with him and will pick him up from wherever. It was also reported that the magistrate at Chitungwiza stated during proceedings that the axed men belonged to Zanu PF, which Muranganwa said was totally untrue as he is a known member of MDC Tsvangirai faction.

Muranganwa is married with three children and he survives from informal trading. He said he is now living in fear and has been currently hindered from engaging in his only form of livelihood. He said he is worried of the campaigning leverage of aspiring candidates of his party that are now incarcerated. He alleged that the political playing field in his constituency is not level.

Nelson Chamisa said his party is facing rampant violence in its countrywide campaign. He said reports of kidnappings and beatings have also been reported in Mudzi where an aspiring candidate has fallen victim and in Manicaland where there have been reports of opposition party officials being kidnapped.

ZPP is worried about this state of affairs. As an organisation we reiterate our call for peace prior, during and after the coming elections. The need for tranquillity cannot be overemphasised in a country that is about to go towards this important event on 29th of March. We recommend that political parties and those of divergent views should not act violently towards their opponents. We also reiterate that for the attainment of peace and the realisation of democracy, police should uphold the true values of their work so that they aid peace not to abate it.

Above all let peace prevail prior to, during and after elections.

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