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Herald Correspondent
Police are questioning three CCC members suspected of kidnapping ZANU PF youth chairman for Bumba District in Chimanimani, Mr Nicholas Madzianike, on June 19 whose whereabouts remain unknown.
The suspects, Chengetanai Musudu, Hakata Musudu and Aaron Chizemo, are assisting police with investigations.
National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi confirmed the abduction of Mr Madzianike, and said police had been deployed to carry out investigations.
“We are investigating a case in which Nicholas Madzianike allegedly disappeared from Bumba Business Centre on June 19.
“Police are on the ground gathering facts on what happened on that fateful day. We will give a detailed statement when we gather all the facts,” said Asst Comm Nyathi.
Mr Madzianike’s kidnapping comes a few days after police launched an investigation into the deaths of two ZANU PF officials from Nyatsime, on the outskirts of Chitungwiza.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the late former Manyame district chairperson, Cde Tina Gweshe, was poisoned after she attended a party, while Cde George Murambatsvina, the former Zanu PF chairman for Nyatsime, died from serious injuries and stress-related illness after an arson attack on his house by CCC supporters.
A fortnight ago, CCC supporters in Nyatsime went on a rampage and violently targeted properties belonging to ZANU PF members following the murder of a woman, Moreblessing Ali, allegedly by her ex-boyfriend Pius Jamba who is now in custody.
The violence was instigated by the CCC interim vice-chairperson and Zengeza West legislator Mr Job Sikhala, who has since been arrested and in remand along with fellow legislator for Chitungwiza North constituency, Mr Godfrey Sithole.
“This death of Moreblessing Ali, let me tell them and the whole Zimbabwe, the whole family shall perish whichever way we are going to do it the family will suffer. You might not hear about this family again; it will be wiped from the face of the earth if they are not going to apologise as soon as possible.
“Many people have volunteered to do the business to make sure the spirit of Moreblessing Ali will not rest until we avenge, and truly the avenging will be done,” said Mr Sikhala, while inciting CCC supporters.
But an internal CCC communication recently leaked to The Herald revealed that the opposition party was setting up a paramilitary wing within its party’s ranks ahead of the 2023 harmonised general elections.
The paramilitary wing is responsible for anti-democratic means including arson, violence and kidnapping of political opponents to grab political power.
It is known as the Citizens’ Defenders (CDs), and is similar to the one that was conceptualised by the MDC called the Democratic Resistance Committees (DRCs).
DRCs were set up in the early to mid-2000s, and were reportedly trained in weapon’s handling and acts of sabotage.
As recently as 2019, some opposition figures and civil society organisations’ representatives, were dispatched to the Maldives, where they were reportedly trained to stage mass uprisings by a Serbian national, Srdja Popovic.
Online Reporter