VIOLENCE raged at an MDC-T rally in Marondera yesterday where the party's provincial chairman for Mashonaland East was severely assaulted by party youths before his vehicle ran over two supporters as he attempted to flee the venue.

Several supporters were seriously injured, some sustaining broken limbs, and hospitalised in Harare and Marondera.

The injured reported the matter to Marondera Central Police Station (Case No. RRB 133939).

Two of the injured were allegedly ran over by the party's provincial executive member Mr Johannes Razunguzwa, who reportedly does not hold a valid driver's licence.

Provincial chairman Mr Piniel Denga and the two supporters suffered broken legs and are now in hospital in Harare.

Efforts to get a comment from Mashonaland East provincial police spokesman Inspector Bulisani Bhebhe were fruitless.

The ill-fated rally, called by Mr Langton Kasunzuma, took place at Dimbe Primary School in Marondera East constituency. Mr Kasunzuma is the MDC-T Marondera district organising secretary.

At least 100 people attended the rally including Marondera Central legislator Mr Ian Kay, Marondera Mayor Farai Nyandoro, Mr Denga and deputy provincial organising secretary Mr Boniface Tagwirei.

Trouble began during introductions when Kasunzuma presented Mr Size Vilela as the district youth chairman for Marondera.

This did not go down well with the camp supported by Mr Kay and Mr Nyandoro which has its own chairman. Mr Vilela is aligned to the Denga faction.

The confrontation almost led to a fistfight before Mr Kay cooled tempers.

However, matters came to a head when Mr Denga was addressing the rally and he denounced violence.

Youths aligned to the Kay camp told him to shut up, before they started assaulting him.

The assaulted were Boniface Tagwirei, Nancy Mazivise and Graham Nyahada who are aligned to the Denga camp.

The rowdy youths then shattered the windscreen of Mr Denga's Toyota Hilux truck.

Fearing for their lives, the injured scrambled into Mr Denga's vehicle which was then driven by Mr Razunguzwa. However, Mr Razunguzwa allegedly ran over two party supporters in the ensuing pandemonium.

The condition of all the injured could not be ascertained at the time of going to press.

Factionalism and power struggles have fuelled intra-party violence in Mashonaland East province.