Political Violence Must Stop - Mahere

Full statement by Citizens’ Coalition for Change (CCC) national spokesperson Fadzayi Mahere on recent attacks on party members and supporters.

The Citizens’ Coalition for Change condemns the escalation of political violence, particularly the egregious attacks against our members as we approach the 26 March by-election,

In the early hours of this morning, four men armed with machetes and a gun stormed the home of Hon. Tendai Biti who is our by-election candidate for Harare East constituency.

Hon Biti was not present at the property at the time of the attack. However, his elderly mother, family visitors and members of his campaign team were home.

The armed men beat up Hon Biti’s guard in the head and limbs. He suffered extensive injuries that required medical attention which he is now receiving at a local hospital.

This is not the first attack on Hon. Biti’s campaign team. On the 27th of January 2022, Erasmus Nyandoro, Zellers Gumbo, Tatenda Chigwada and Prince Mutebuka were beaten by armed riot police in the centre of town because they were wearing yellow CCC shirts.

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Furthermore, on 16 February 2022, after a campaign meeting Tafara, armed Zanu PF thugs violently attacked three members of Hon. Biti’s campaign team and they sustained deep injuries on their legs and backs. They were beaten using iron bars.

Again, on the 19th of February, Obvious Nyahondo, was attacked by Zanu PF thugs at the Tafara venue of a rally that was to be addressed by Hon. Tendai Biti.

The attackers took his property including his phone and he sustained deep cuts to his legs and back. Although police reports have been made in respect of these incidents, the perpetrators are yet to be brought to book

This morning’s attack on Hon. Biti’s home comes barely four days after Zanu PF thugs murdered Mboneni Ncube at a CCC rally in Mbizo Kwekwe.

He was attacked with a spear three times in his back. We are advised that 11 of the 16 suspects in this gruesome murder have since been released by the Zimbabwe Republic Police. Many of our supporters were injured and 23 were hospitalized.

We call for an immediate end to this clear pattern of political violence by Zanu PF against CCC. We further call for a full retraction of the statements made by a senior Zanu PF official to the effect that “CCC members must be crushed like lice.”

The statement was not only incendiary, genocidal and unconstitutional but wholly unacceptable in a constitutional democracy.

The National Peace and Reconciliation Commission, the Human Rights Commission, the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission and the Zimbabwe Republic Police must urgently investigate these statements and the series of violent attacks against CCC and ensure there is accountability for the perpetrators.

An electoral process soaked in the blood of innocent citizens is not the sort of electoral process the citizens of Zimbabwe deserve.

More: Pindula News