Updated: Violence In MDC-T As Rival Factions Fight For Control Of Party’s Offices In Bulawayo

There was violence at the opposition MDC-T’s party provincial offices in Bulawayo on Sunday after rival factions fought for control of the offices. The rival factions are alleged to be backing new party leader Nelson Chamisa and vice-president Thokozani Khupe.

Reports coming in suggest that Thokozani Khupe and party supporters loyal to her were having a meeting when they were attacked by rival youths who are reported to have been brought by a truck. Khupe’s personal assistant, Witness Dube, was assaulted and sustained a gash on the head while Thokozani Khupe’s car was stoned and damaged.  Obert Gutu, the MDC-T national spokesperson who was suspended for fanning factionalism is reported to have been present at the meeting before it was disrupted.

Khupe later wrote on her Facebook page,

We are under attack at the Bulawayo MDC-T office. People are injured and cars have been vandalized.

While, MDC-T organizing secretary Abednico Bhebhe told Voice of America,

Party activists at grassroots level wanted to know about what is happening in the party and hence we convened this meeting for that purpose. When we were busy talking about the goings on in the party some people started throwing stones on top of the building. The youth who were inside the building tried to get out of the party headquarters but it was impossible to do so because stones were ‘raining’ on the building. They then shut the gate and hit back so that they would protect the party leaders inside the building.

I was scared that my vehicle, which was already hit, would be set on fire. The other cars belonging to Khupe and Chief Ndlovu were also hit. So, I dashed out of the building to save my car and the same was done by Khupe’s driver who was unfortunately hit by a missile on his forehead and was bleeding profusely. He is in hospital right now.

The Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) reacted by deploying the riot police and water cannons to the MDC-T offices.   The This is the second time in less than a year that Khupe has been attacked in Bulawayo after she was attacked in August for allegedly opposing the coalition MDC Alliance.

The latest attack may result in Khupe reconsidering her decision to stay in the MDC-T after she lost the battle to lead the party when Nelson Chamisa was selected to take over from Tsvangirai.  Despite saying that she is not leaving the party, Khupe may reconsider her options after she was also attacked at Morgan Tsvangirai’s burial in Buhera.

 

More: Voice of America