admin“We are investigating this case of arson which we suspect is politically motivated,” she said.
Asst Comm Charamba said the victim Cde Muondoka had earlier received threats before her two huts were set on fire and property worth thousands of dollars was destroyed.
“It is clear this case is politically motivated as prior to the arson threats had been issued,” she said.
Asst Comm Charamba, however, said no one was injured and added that no arrests had been made but investigations were under way.
In an interview with The Herald at her homestead in Jokonya village, Cde Muondoka who is also a widow said her grain storage with one and a half tonnes of maize, four bags of soya beans, ground nuts, an assortment of groceries and kitchen utensils was burnt around 1am on Monday.
“I was asleep when I was woken up by an unusual noise and when I peeped through my window to investigate, I saw a huge ball of fire on my hut. I went out and called for help from neighbours to put out the fire.”
She said together with her neighbours they tried to put out the fire but it was too late as the fire had engulfed the entire roof.
Cde Muondoka said she highly suspected MDC-T activists in the village to be behind the arson.
“They know I am a leader of Zanu-PF in the area and they are trying to intimidate me ahead of the forthcoming elections,” she said adding that another hut belonging to her nephew Simbarashe Munetsi was also burnt down on the same morning.
Cde Muondoka said more than a tonne of maize and household property were reduced to ashes in the inferno.
MDC-T has unleashed a wave of intra- and inter-party political violence to trash the political environment in a bid to call for poll postponement and provide fodder for its Western allies to discredit the poll.
Harmonised elections are scheduled for July 31, with nomination courts for contesting candidates sitting next Friday.
The party’s terror campaign began last year, but was intensified from January, with over 45 cases being recorded countrywide since the beginning of the year.
In all the recorded cases, MDC-T supporters were at the forefront of attacking their colleagues or those from other political parties, especially Zanu-PF.
Online Reporter