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Pamela Shumba Senior Reporter
Intra-party violence in the warring MDC-T took a nasty turn with suspected party thugs petrol-bombing the Harare home of secretary-general Tendai Biti in the early hours of yesterday morning.
The unidentified assailants descended on Biti’s house in Umwinsdale suburb at about 1AM.
They threw a petrol bomb, which was in a beer bottle, before fleeing in an unidentified vehicle.
Biti is believed to be fighting in the corner of other senior MDC-T figures who include deputy national treasurer Elton Mangoma, treasurer Roy Bennet and Elias Mudzuri who have openly called for leadership renewal, courting the ire of party leader Morgan Tsvangirai and his shock troops.
Mangoma and youth leader Promise Mkhwananzi were beaten up by MDC-T youths as they left the party’s Harvest House headquarters in the capital two weeks ago, while Biti and youth leader Solomon Madzore fled from the marauding mob.
Biti said it was unfortunate that some people still believed in violence and described those who attacked his home as losers.
“Some people came to my house early in the morning and threw a petrol bomb from a Castle Lite bottle. They damaged the pre-cast wall and the electric wire on the perimeter wall,” said Biti.
“My family, including my wife, children and my brother from Cape Town were all in the house and it was such a disturbing incident for them. It’s unfortunate that people have decided to involve my family.”
Biti could not be drawn to comment on the identity of the assailants, saying the police were handling the matter.
“I reported the matter to Borrowdale Police Station and investigations are underway. Let us allow the police to do their job.
“However, I want to mention that the people who did this are losers. Violence is a game of losers. Let us dialogue because fighting is not worth it,” he said.
Police spokesperson Senior Assistant Commissioner Charity Charamba confirmed the incident and decried continuing reports of violence involving MDC-T.
“I can confirm that MDC-T secretary general Tendai Biti’s residence was petrol bombed at 1.05AM on February 25, 2014. Police are investigating the circumstances in which unknown persons threw a bomb, which hit and burnt a gate pillar at Biti’s Umwinsdale house.
They used an unidentified vehicle as a get-away car,” said Snr Asst Comm Charamba.
She added: “We are concerned with recent acts of political violence in the MDC-T. These have revealed the violent nature of this party.
“This comes after the recent attack on Zanu-PF Machipisa offices and Jongwe Printers in Harare.”
Snr Asst Comm Charamba said the police were equally concerned with utterances by MDC-T national organising secretary Nelson Chamisa who told a local radio station that the party was against its members reporting incidents of intra party violence to the police.
She reminded members of the public that police have a constitutional mandate to investigate crime.
“All individuals or political entities fanning violence will regret as the long arm of the law will catch up with them,” said Snr Asst Comm Charamba.
Fissures have been widening in the MDC-T after some factions started pressing for leadership renewal and calling for party leader Tsvangirai to go.
Online Reporter