The Home Affairs Co-Minister Theresa Makone's 'silence' regarding the war vets continued attacks on MDC members is a sign her party is still not in control, a commentator has said.

Last week, assaults on MDC officials and supporters intensified in the Chipinge area of Manicaland, with MDC-T Makoni South MP Pishayi Muchauraya blaming war vets and ZANU PF militia for the violence. On Monday the MDC in Masvingo said war vets leader Jabulani Sibanda has used inflammatory speeches to terrorise thousands of people at meetings for the past few weeks. He recently told villagers that people opposed to Robert Mugabe would be killed.

Following Sibanda's remarks, on Friday night Bikita MDC-T member David Holman, lost property after his house was torched by suspected ZANU PF loyalists. This incident was the last straw for the MDC members in the area, who decided to boycott the constitutional outreach programe.

Exiled Zimbabwean journalist Tanonoka Whande said: "It has been going on for a long time and there is no end to it. ZANU PF is in control, there is nothing Theresa Makone can do. She came in, she can't make a difference, there is nothing she can do," he said.

Whande's comments on how the situation has not changed are in line with those of Tongai Matutu, the MDC-T's provincial chairperson for Masvingo, who said on Monday that despite the war vets criminal conduct the police are reluctant to make arrests because the police force is still generally sympathetic towards ZANU PF war vet.

Matutu added that at a meeting on Friday at Mashoko in Bikita South, the officer in charge of Mashoko police station was actually present when Sibanda incited violence against the MDC.

Technically, as Home Affairs Co-Minister Makone, has the power to order the police to investigate and even arrest Jabulani Sibanda and other war vets who are attacking people.

But last month she went to three different police stations demanding that the police release the son of ZANU PF Minister Didymus Mutasa. Mutasa's son Martin was being held after allegedly trying to seize shareholding worth US$1 million in a company owned by white businessman Paul Westwood.

Whande says despite hurrying to intervene to help a ZANU PF member's son, the MDC-T minister is powerless to rescue her own party members from militant war vets sponsored by ZANU PF.

"Theresa doesn't have the interests of the MDC at heart," he said, adding; "Why don't we see a difference regarding the police? Is the person responsible for the police saying anything? Why is she not making noise about it?" he said.

Whande also said that generally, Makone's conduct shows that the MDC-T does not have any power over its own ministers. In addition to trying to rescue a ZANU PF minister's son from police custody, he said he agreed with the view that her role as director of ceremonies at the Heroes Day commemoration in Harare on Monday showed her conduct was contrary to the mood of her party - the MDC strongly opposes the current system of deciding who is a hero. Despite the law stating heroes status should be conferred by cabinet, ZANU PF alone has been making decisions, ignoring the other parties nominations.

"The MDC itself does not seem to have control over its people. They don't seem to have control over their agenda. Theresa was a master of ceremony there, can't you see a little line, she's making dots for us to join. It is so clear," he said.