Polls Spark Intra-Party Violence

Jennifer Dube

29 May 2011

Harare — ELEVEN Zanu PF activists have been arrested in Maramba-Pfungwe constituency in Mashonaland East for brutally assaulting fellow party members and damaging property as factionalism in the party intensified ahead of primary elections to choose candidates for general elections which could be held this year.

The 11 activists identified in court papers as supporters of MP Washington Musvaire on Thursday briefly appeared before a Mutawatawa magistrate who postponed the case to June 7 for trial.

Court papers at hand say that the Zanu PF activists went on a rampage on April 12 and 13, breaking doors and smashing windows of houses of fellow supporters before assaulting occupants whom they accused of supporting former MP Kenneth Mutiwekuziva.

These acts of violence were allegedly committed in three villages under Chief Chinyerere where a total of five people were severely assaulted.

The alleged perpetrators have been identified as Zeckias Ziunye, Bonnie Chibundu, Major Mutero, Samuel Kwindima, Lloyd Kamuriwo, Takura Mhungu, Tandeza Nyarumbe, Togarepi Chikotera, Mistake Chinofura and Stanford Masangudza.

According to the court papers, towards midnight on April 12, the 11 activists allegedly went to Dick Tore and Lucia Nyamayedenga’s homestead in Mazarura village where they threw stones at the house where the two were sleeping in.

They broke down the door and dragged Tore (28) outside. They then assaulted him with logs all over his body, fracturing his arm. They then also dragged out Nyamayedenga (28) and assaulted her with logs. They stole US$220 in cash and a cellphone handset.

Around midnight the following day, the group proceeded to Nyadzisai Kachidza’s homestead in Chiunye village where they opened the cattle pen and drove cattle into her yard before taking turns to assault the 42-year-old all over the body using sticks.

She sustained a swollen chest. Her brother Faston Kachidza, who left his home to rescue his sister, was assaulted with logs.

The assailants then proceeded to his homestead where they damaged his door and dining room window pane using stones, the court papers say.

Just after midnight on the same day, the 11 went to Tafadzwa Chibundu’s homestead in Chibundu village where one of them struck him with a brick on the waist as he went outside to inspect after hearing their footsteps.

He sought refuge indoors but they broke the door into pieces before dragging him outside and striking him on the head with an unknown object.

Chibundu sustained a deep cut on the head, a fracture on the left arm and lost one upper tooth.

Sources in the province said Zanu PF Mashonaland East Provincial chairman, Ray Kaukonde allegedly hired top Harare lawyer Charles Warara to represent the 11 in court.

Warara — who is also Kaukonde’s lawyer — appeared for the accused in Mutawatawa on Thursday.

However, Kaukonde denied hiring the lawyer and professed ignorance over the issue of violence in his province.

Contacted for comment, Musvaire said “a skirmish broke out after some misunderstanding” and accused those linking him to the violence of trying to tarnish his image.

Zanu pf hypocrisy on violence exposed

The arraignment of the activists has exposed Zanu PF which has of late been on a campaign to prove that the violence taking place around the country is being perpetrated by the MDC-T.

Police have also accused the MDC-T of violence and periodically produced reports showing that the party led by Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai is responsible for most of the violence.

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