MDC-T executives flee as violence rears ugly head

intra-party violence broke out.

Ms Matibenga, who is also Public Service Minister, was in the company of Mkoba legislator Mr Amos Chibaya, Senator for Mutare Mrs Keresenzia Chabuka, Senator for Nyanga Mr Patrick Chitaka, the party’s Mutare provincial organising secretary Mr Prosper Mutseyami and provincial election officer Julius Magarangoma.

Mr Mutseyami had convened and addressed the MDC-T’s restructuring meeting at Gaza Hall in Chipinge.

The meeting, which was held between 11am and 1.30pm was attended by a handful of the party’s supporters.

Chief police spokesperson Senior Assistant Commissioner Charity Charamba yesterday said a report had since been made to the police and investigations were in progress.

She said during the meeting, Mr Mutseyami informed the people that they were going to restructure Mutare Ward 2 before restructuring the district.

Supporters aligned to MDC-T Chipinge district chairman Mr Godfrey Chenjerai started making noise, demanding to know the credibility of Mr Mutseyami in conducting the exercise.

Related Stories…

This led to a brief adjournment of the meeting before Mr Mutseyami ordered all the people out of the hall. He later addressed them while they were outside and told them that only those from Mutare Ward 2 should go inside the hall.

An activist, Never Gwenzi, who is aligned to Mr Chenjerai’s faction, tried to forcibly enter the hall and was pushed by those aligned to Mr Mutseyami.

He fell and sustained a deep cut on the right eye. This did not go down well with his colleagues who started throwing stones towards the hall and the supporters aligned to Mr Mutseyami.

The ensuing violence forced the seven senior party officials, including Minister Matibenga, to flee to their cars before some of them sped off.

“Six people aligned to Chenjerai sustained minor injuries and were treated and discharged at Chipinge District Hospital,” Snr Asst Comm Charamba said.
She said no arrests had been made so far.

In a related incident, an MDC-T supporter was attacked by three of his colleagues in Mutare after being accused of distributing their party’s cards last Friday.

Moses Chipinduro was on his way home from Matura Township when the incident occurred.
Police said on April 28, MDC-T legislator for Mutare South Mr Robert Saunyama convened a meeting at Matura Farm and only six people turned up.

Due to the poor attendance, Mr Saunyama cancelled the meeting and gave the six supporters cards before they dispersed.

Chipinduro was then assaulted while coming from the meeting.
Snr Asst Comm Charamba said they would not tolerate any forms of violence whether inter-party or intra-party.

This comes as intra-party violence within the MDC-T is escalating, with several incidents reported in different parts of the country in the last few months.

Some of the violence mainly has to do with the party’s pending primary elections as the MDC-T supporters jostle to represent the party in the harmonised elections expected before the end of next month.