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Zimbabwe: MDC-T Stayaway Flops
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 Published by the government of Zimbabwe |
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The Herald (Harare)
OPINION
16 April 2008
Posted to the web 16 April 2008
Harare
THE MDC-T stayaway flopped yesterday after people ignored the strike, triggering acts of violence by frustrated opposition youths but these were quickly suppressed by the police.
Police arrested 36 opposition youths countrywide who were by last night still assisting them with investigations.
A bus belonging to Nyamweda Bus Company was yesterday morning burnt and reduced to a shell by MDC-T youths as the stayaway called by the opposition turned violent.
MDC-T called for the stayaway to compel the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission to release results of the presidential election but Zimbabweans ignored the call, leaving the opposition to vent its anger on innocent people and their property.
The call for the stayaway follows the dismissal of the party's urgent application seeking an order to compel ZEC to release the results by High Court judge Justice Tendayi Uchena on Monday.
In a bid to force workers to stay home and to scare people from going about their normal business, MDC-T thugs blocked roads with rocks and burnt old motor vehicle tyres along some roads in Harare.
The Nyamweda bus was carrying 68 passengers, mostly cross-border traders, and their wares from Botswana.
Two of the passengers -- Simangaliso Vumbu (28) and Hassani Africa Muzozi of Malawi -- were injured.
Vumbu was taken to Harare Central Hospital while Muzozi was treated by an ambulance crew and allowed to proceed with the final leg of his journey to Malawi.
Imported electrical gadgets, including DVD players, pots and plates belonging to the traders were burnt.
Chief police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Wayne Bvudzijena said the job action had turned violent contrary to the MDC-T's claims that it was going to be peaceful.
"A Nyamweda bus was burnt early this morning (0340hrs) at Warren Park roundabout. The bus was carrying mainly informal traders from Plumtree. At Warren Park roundabout the driver observed a fire on the roadside and as he tried to reverse, the bus was attacked from behind with stones," he said.
"One of the attackers brought a piece of a burning tyre and torched the bus. As the passengers scurried from the bus, one person dislocated an ankle and another was burnt on the arm while trying to retrieve his property from the burning bus," he said.
Asst Comm Bvudzijena said in a separate incident, a Zupco bus was stoned and five windowpanes smashed early in the morning in Kambuzuma. No one was injured.
He said vehicles belonging to poultry company Irvine's and bakery firm Lobels were also stoned in Budiriro 5 where one passenger sustained minor injuries.
"In St Mary's, Mbare, Kuwadzana and Westgate, reports of random illegal roadblocks were reported. The police quickly removed the barriers while in St Mary's MDC-T supporters threatened those who wanted to collect their vehicles from car parks. The police quickly responded and the situation was brought under control," said Asst Comm Bvudzijena.
A Zimpost truck was overturned in Kuwadzana 3 while a gang of MDC-T youths numbering between 25 and 30 smashed a Delta Beverages truck at Gazaland in Highfield.
The youths stoned several cars at Chitubu Shopping Centre in Glen Norah and Mbare, where they also smashed the windowpanes of a Gwangwava bus and a commuter omnibus.
The 33 youths were arrested in Harare, Bulawayo, Gweru, Mutare and Marondera for barricading roads, stoning cars and buses, behaving in a threatening manner and preventing people from going to work.
Yesterday evening the youths stoned 10 cars, including a Herald truck, in Glen View.
At the University of Zimbabwe, some rowdy students went on the rampage and attacked a commercial bank at the campus, destroying property worth billions of dollars.
The assailants, suspected to be members of the Zimbabwe National Students' Union, approached CBZ Bank located at the campus in the afternoon and threw missiles, breaking some windowpanes.
They also threw around fliers in which they made several demands, some of which the institution of higher learning had no control over.
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By the time police moved in, the rowdy students had already dispersed.
Please get the facts straight. Samuel Sipepa Nkomo does not own that grocery store anymore. He leased out the store over 6 months ago to focus on his campaign. He supports the stay away fully so please correct this lest he be misunderstood.
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