KOMBIS BAN I am the MDC-T boss: declares Khupe TURNS VIOLENT
1 killed, 2 cars burnt & police station stoned Commuters in running battles with cops
AT LEAST one person was killed and two others were seriously injured yesterday evening in Harare when police clashed with the commuting public in the Central Business District.
Two vehicles were reduced to ashes while the Harare Central Police Station was stoned and heavily damaged by a rowdy mob. Windows at the entrance of Zimbabwe Republic Police charge office were shattered by missiles as people protested the death of a yet to be identified man under unclear circumstances.
The mayhem followed a directive by Harare City Council banning commuter omnibus operators and on-street vendors from coming to the CBD in an Operation dubbed “Clean up CBD”.
There were running battles last night as the crowd threw missiles at the police while the cops fired tear gas canisters. This resulted in the death of one person. People who spokes to our Harare Bureau said trouble started when the police approached a Chitungwiza bound kombi that was dropping passengers at Seke road flyover.
The driver is said to have resisted instructions by the police not to drop passengers at the undesignated point.
This resulted in an altercation that exploded into a running battle.
Police fired tear gas canisters to wade off the marauding crowd. “The police fired warning shots to try to disperse the swelling crowd who were already jeering at them,” said Mr Marvellous Vhiriri.
The crowd later regrouped and pitched up at ZRP charge office in central Harare where they threw missiles leaving a trail of destruction. The regrouping of the crowd seemed to have caught the police ill-prepared. They withdrew and called for reinforcement. When our Harare Bureau arrived at charge office around 2000HRS missiles were strewn all over in the charge office while the body of the deceased still lay on the floor.
Police details could also be seen pushing vehicles that were parked adjacent to charge office in a bid to save them from catching fire. The bus terminus had been cordoned off. Police details could be seen patrolling the area around the terminus while intermittently firing tear gas canisters.
Police spokesperson Senior Assistant Commissioner Charity Charamba’s mobile phone was unreachable last night while her deputy Chief Superintendent Paul Nyathi was not picking calls.
Harare city had announced that it was relocating commuter omnibuses and on street vendors from CBD.
Government has since reversed the council decision to allow for further consultation. MDC-T co-vice president Dr Thokozani Khupe yesterday insisted she is the acting president of the party, as per constitution and that anyone claiming the position was violating the rule book.
There is an ugly fight within the MDC-T over who takes over from Mr Morgan Tsvangirai who died of cancer of the colon in a South African hospital last week and was buried on Tuesday at his rural home in Buhera.
The internal fights have seen MDC-T spokesperson Mr Obert Gutu quitting the opposition outfit in which co-vice president Advocate Nelson Chamisa has claimed the throne.
The fights also manifested at the burial of Mr Tsvangirai where Dr Khupe, secretary general Mr Douglas Mwonzora and organising secretary Mr Abednigo Bhebhe were assaulted.
The violence received widespread condemnation even from MDC-T associates and sponsors.
In a statement yesterday, Dr Khupe was adamant that constitutionally she is the acting MDC-T president and not Adv Chamisa.
“Following the tragic passing on and the burial of our dear leader president Dr Morgan Richard Tsvangirai it is important that the party returns to normalcy. This can only be done if the party goes back to its constitution. It is clear from reading of clause 6.4.4.1 that among other office bearers the deputy presidents are members of the Standing Committe. However, they have to be elected by congress,” said Dr Khupe.
Adv Chamisa and Engineer Elias Mudzuri were appointed to the vice presidency by Mr Tsvangirai.
“Clause 9.2 makes provision for the duties of the deputy president. It does not make provisions for the duties of the additional deputy presidents. The deputy president in clause in clause 9.2 can only be the deputy president elected by congress. Clause 9.21.1 provides that in the event of the death of the president, the deputy president assumes the role of the acting president pending the holding of the extraordinary congress within a year,” said Dr Khupe.
She added: “The deputy president is the deputy president provided for in clause 9.2 that is to say the one elected by congress. There is therefore no role of the national council to elect an acting president because this is already provided for in the constitution. To that end I am the acting president of the MDC-T as provided for in both clause 9.2 and clause 9.21.1 of the constitution.”
Dr Khupe said any other process that sought to circumvent the operation of the constitution was null and void.
“Therefore as acting president I make the following orders: (a) That an extraordinary congress to elect a substantive president of the party should be held within a month. To that end, the secretary general is ordered in terms of clause 9.5.1 to ensure that the extraordinary congress is convened. (b)That the standing committee of the party shall convene immediately and at any rate (date) not later than Friday the 23rd of February 2018, (c) that disciplinary action be carried out against all the leaders behind violence that occurred during Dr Tsvangirai’s funeral.”