adminCrime Reporter
MDC-T activists staying in the so-called safe houses are behind the spate of violence and petrol-bombings that have rocked Harare, police have said.
Chief police spokesman Senior Assistant Commissioner Wayne Bvudzijena said investigations so far reveal that the terror acts were being organised from the so-called MDC-T safe houses.
“We believe that some of the attacks and petrol bombings are being launched from these so-called safe houses,” said Asst Comm Bvudzijena.
There have been reports that some MDC-T members were now living in safe houses for fear or after being “attacked” by Zanu-PF members in and around Harare.
“There is no issue of safe houses because according to our intelligence all these attacks and violence, are being launched from these places,” Snr Asst Comm Bvudzijena said.
He said the force would certainly go all out to investigate all these cases without fear or favour.
Five petrol bombs were thrown at the Zanu-PF district office in Mbare early Monday morning in what was suspected to be an attack by MDC-T youths.
Two people were by yesterday still in police custody as investigations into the bombings continued. This was the second time in a month that petrol-bombings have rocked Mbare, with Zanu-PF being the target in both instances.
Harare provincial police spokesperson Inspector James Sabau yesterday said the situation was calm and the force was on high alert to deal with acts of violence.
“The situation is calm and as usual there was no retaliation. We keep on advising them to maintain peace while investigations continue to account for the culprits involved,” he said.
Property and clothes were destroyed when the five petrol bombs were detonated at Zanu-PF’s Joshua Nkomo district offices in Matapi at around 1am. No one was injured.
Eight Zanu-PF members were sleeping at the offices at the time of the bombing.
Blankets, clothes, curtains, identification particulars and US$40 cash were destroyed.
MDC-T has, however, accused Zanu-PF of fomenting the violence, though police statistics show otherwise. Early this month, a suspected petrol bomb was detonated at Mbare’s Siya-So market stalls in what preliminary investigations indicate was an attack by suspected MDC-T youths. Timber worth more than US$600 000 was destroyed in the bombing, which occurred a few days after Zanu-PF’s youth chair for Harare Province – Cde Jimu Kunaka – was assaulted by MDC-T youths at a food court in the city.
Earlier, seven MDC-T youths had been arrested on allegations of stoking violence in Mbare.
There has also been violence in Budiriro and Epworth, which police suspect MDC-T has orchestrated.
The attempts at chaos follow MDC-T leader Mr Morgan Tsvangirai’s recent statements to the international media in which he appeared to try and justify use of violence as was been witnessed in Tunisia and Egypt.
Police have recovered various dangerous weapons including axes and knobkerries from those they have arrested.
President Mugabe is on record calling on his partners in the inclusive Government to organise joint meetings with the Zanu-PF leadership to encourage rival party supporters to desist from political violence.
The President’s call is still to be heeded.
Online Reporter