adminrestructuring exercise at Gaza Hall here on Sunday.
Some senior party officials who attended the abandoned violent meeting included MDC-T national executive members Lucia Matibenga and Amos Chibaya and the party’s Manicaland provincial chairman Mr Julius Magarangoma, among others.
The abortive election pitted incumbent Chipinge East district chairperson Mr Godfrey Chenjerayi and the party’s Chipinge South aspiring legislator, Mr Livingstone Dhlumo.
Police confirmed having received a report of the violence.
Officer Commanding Chipinge district Chief Superintendent Patrick Wasara said police were investigating the matter.
He said most of the suspects stayed in Mutare.
“Yes we have received a report that there was intra-party violence at Gaza Hall. We are still investigating the matter because most of the suspects are based in Mutare,” he said.
The three-day restructuring exercise had to be called off prematurely after a fierce brawl erupted along factional lines.
Seven people were seriously injured and two of them were admitted and received medical treatment at Chipinge District Hospital. They have since been discharged.
Mr Chenjerayi told The Herald yesterday that Mr Mutseyami was fanning factionalism in the province.
In Chipinge, Mr Chenjerayi said, Mr Mutseyami was favouring a faction led by Mr Dhlumo.
“(Mr) Mutseyami is not only causing problems in Chipinge but in the whole province. Those who know MDC’s history can testify that the party’s support has declined to below 30 percent since 2007.
“As organising secretary, (Mr) Mutseyami should work to develop the party, but his actions on the ground are counter-productive,” he said.
Mr Chenjerayi said it was illegal according to the party’s constitution for Mr Mutseyami to seek to dissolve the current district structures.
He said the structures voted the present national leadership at the party’s congress held in Bulawayo in 2011.
As such, said Mr Chenjerayi, elections for district leadership should also be held when the term of the current national leadership expires.
Mr Chenjerayi said Mr Mutseyami, who was once suspended by the national executive, was responsible for Sunday’s melee.
He said Mr Mutseyami came to Chipinge with a group of thugs from Mutare which he claimed to be his security.
Mr Chenjerayi said surprisingly Mr Mutseyami’s “security” was a group of hooligans that beat all people perceived to be aligned to his (Chenjerayi’s) faction.
One of the victims of last Sunday’s brawl, Sarudzai Sithole, said: “He (Mutseyami) should just be dismissed from the party or else we will quit and join Zanu-PF. He has always threatened us with suspension whenever we queried his decisions.”
She said it was disheartening that she suffered injuries at the hands of her fellow party members.
Ms Sithole said last Sunday’s meeting was the 19th attempt to restructure the party in Chipinge with no solution in sight as Mr Mutseyami seemed to have the backing of some senior members from the national executive.
“We just want him to be arrested and the law should take its course because we were assaulted on his instructions. This matter has been reported to the national executive several times,” she said.
Asked for his comment, Mr Mutseyami said he was not in Chipinge last Sunday.
“My position is that I was not even there,” he said.
Online Reporter