SW Radio Africa (London)
Tichaona Sibanda
14 April 2008
Two MDC activists died over the weekend in political violence linked to reprisal killings, that have left over 100 party activists seriously injured after beatings by war veterans and militias.
Tapiwa Mbwada, an MDC organising secretary for Hurungwe East in Karoi, was beaten to death on Saturday night. His wife and brother were badly beaten and are in a serious condition. A local Zanu-PF councillor from Kazangarare named as Jawet, and an ex-soldier identified as Madamombe, have been named as the culprits.
A teacher in Mudzi in Mashonaland East, was murdered and 8 women from the same area were abducted. The MDC is still waiting for more information and confirmation about this case. In Gokwe an activist was shot and seriously injured and is now in a Harare hospital.
Ian Makone, a top aide to MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai, accused Zanu-PF of the latest killings and violence and denounced the attacks as 'naked evil'.
He warned that Robert Mugabe was trying to provoke 'mayhem and civil disobedience' by inciting violence through political killings.
'To say it is tense would be an understatement,' Makone said. 'There is almost a siege mentality because of the attacks.' The scale of the beatings in most rural areas are so shocking, the victims can barely walk or talk.
In most of the recorded cases of beatings, the perpetrators are well known figures in the communities. In other instances, Zanu-PF parliamentarians and senior serving members of the police and army have been implicated in the atrocities.
'David Parirenyatwa has been implicated in the violence taking place in Murehwa. We also got the names of assistant commissioner Pfubvute and Brigadier Douglas Nyikayarambwa, and these people are causing untold suffering to many of our supporters,' Makone said.
He added; 'It's unfortunate now that in former strongholds of Zanu-PF, the violence there now is brother against brother or brother against sister, or friend against friend'.
Read comments. Write your own.
Copyright © 2008 SW Radio Africa. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.
AllAfrica aggregates and indexes content from over 125 African news organizations, plus more than 200 other sources, who are responsible for their own reporting and views. Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica.
let peace prevail in Zimbabwe! we do not want another event of war and bloodshed, where the precious lives of people will be lost again. it has happened many times in the past as it did in Kenya- no not this time again! how can the very leaders who claim to want to serve the people turn around and kill them? why have they been so blinded by the love of political power that they do not see the need to protect this heritage(land) that we have. Africa is for us and no one will develop this continent if we do not do so ourselves. when will one person for the sake of the people step down and allow another to reign so that there will be blood shed? Africa let love prevail! we at Kingdom Business College in Ghana have spoken and established that whether Zimbabwe likes it or not there shall be peace in the land. they may not understand the source of their peace but God remains supreme.
MDC is failing its prime goal to remove ZANU and Mugabe through people’s power. It seems MDC was never ready for the presidency; they are still utterly surprised by the overwhelming votes they received. Unfortunately this party thinks the votes were directed towards them as being appreciated by the electorate. The very target of these elections and all other political and public attempts before was to be able to remove ZANU PF policies and its man, RGM. Zimbabweans, through a decade of political maneuvers eloquently expressed that the only way to convey themselves politically is through a nonviolent vote. From the constitutional referendum of 2000 up till this day, Mugabe’s policies were being defeated through the ballot. The people’s abhor of Mugabe’s politics does not directly mean MDC’s policies are respected neither. People have been more than ready to end this tantrum political behavior of RGM notwithstanding how a dear leader he is to many. The MDC camp has been more chaotic this time around but the electorate voted them in only to safeguard the people’s purpose. MDC must realize people’s power and not be fooled by thinking that Zimbabweans want Biti, Chamisa, Bernnet and Morgan to form a govt. If these guys are to form a gvt then it will be to help the very purpose of removing ZANU from its malpractices, period. Tsvangirai and crew must thank their god for being at the right time at the right place. IT is childish for MDC-T to hope that as they received majority votes then the people are ready to fight it out physically in the name of Tsvangirai. Zimbabweans are literate clever citizens; they have personal lives to build than loosing business time promoting a candidate they are not sure of. MDC-T must wait, guard jealously the presidential results peacefully and accept going for a rerun, the people will continue to decide the best on the aspiring candidates. It is as simple as that. Stay away, strikes, violence and international lobbying is not in the best interest of Zimbabweans. It is only the VOTE through properly constituted laws that we will respond. As Mugabe tries to run away with the presidential vote the electorate knows that it is for a short while before the law and the people catch him, let us patiently pursue until he is tired. The European world had long lost in its considered opinion by thinking that Zimbabweans can be persuaded to war. MDC-T continues to buy this European false idea that they are leading an unapprised, barbaric electorate this is why the stay away has drooped.