Mazowe – Zimbabwe's main opposition, the Movement for Democratic
Change (MDC) party has appealed to regional and international bodies to
rein in President Robert Mugabe over an upsurge in politically motivated
violence in the southern African country.
Mugabe told his party faithful
at a rally held at Somhlolo Stadium in Lupane district last week that his
supporters should beat-up people going around perpetrating violence using his
ruling Zanu-PF party’s name.
Following Mugabe's remarks, the
MDC said violence had taken a nasty turn in the countryside and now wanted the
Southern African Development Community (SADC), the African Union (AU) and the
United Nations (UN) to step in ahead of next year’s general elections.
This came after three thatched houses belonging to an
MDC activist, Tendai Nyachuru of Nyachuru Village in Mazowe district of
Mashonaland Central Province, a Zanu-PF stronghold, were set ablaze by
suspected Zanu-PF members in the early hours of Tuesday.
Nyachuru told
News24 that all his property, including clothes and national documents of his
entire family, were destroyed in the inferno.
"The assailants came to my
rural home at night and burnt the houses as were sleeping. My family is lucky
to be alive after we escaped the fire that gutted all the thatched houses; Zanu
PF members are responsible," said Nyachuru.
The torching of Nyachuru’s
homestead came a few days after MDC vice president Elias Mudzuri had his
nightclub set on fire by unknown assailants. Again, the MDC said Zanu-PF was
responsible.
Police spokesperson Charity
Charamba could not be reached for comment.
MDC national spokesperson Obert
Gutu told News24 that it was high time Mugabe was reined in order to "avoid a
bloody election".
Said Gutu: "SADC, the AU and
even the UN, must now get involved to stop the violence that is spreading. If
Mugabe and his people are allowed to pursue this violent path we are going to
lose lives."
