Published by the government of Zimbabwe
20 June 2008
Harare — POLICE have recorded a decline in cases of political violence ahead of next week's presidential run-off election and dismissed claims by MDC-T that four of its supporters have been murdered in and around Harare.
Police spokesperson Chief Superintendent Oliver Mandipaka yesterday said the incidence of political violence had gone down countrywide although "there are a few isolated cases still being reported".
He dismissed claims by MDC-T that four of its supporters were killed in Harare.
MDC-T claimed three of the four -- Archford Chipiyo, Yona Gendi and Ngoni Night -- were among a group holding a night vigil at MDC-T chairman Phellimon Chipiyo's home in Chitungwiza while the fourth was reported to be an unidentified passer-by, whom the opposition still claimed to be their member.
MDC-T had earlier also claimed that the wife of its councillor in Hatcliffe, Abigail Chiroto, was kidnapped and killed by armed men on Tuesday.
"We are not aware of any of those murders," said Chief Supt Mandipaka. He attributed the decline in violence to the campaign by police urging political parties to shun violence.
"We have been on the ground and managed to persuade party supporters to desist from violence and tolerate each other," he said.
Suspected MDC-T activists have been on the rampage throughout the country killing, bombing, torching and brutally assaulting Zanu-PF supporters. An MDC-T militia has been targeting war veterans as well as the ruling party's district and provincial leaders.
Read comments. Write your own.
Copyright © 2008 The Herald. 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.
I guess thats what you get when your out kick'n a.se and tak'n down names and oops, forgot your pencil!
Somebady plase tell me that they saw me bet £100 that the violence would tail off a week before the run off!!
The Herald. What a joke. No mention of the Mayor of Harare's wife that got beaten to a pulp. What a joke of a newspaper.