MDC Alliance member in the dock
A 42-YEAR-OLD Epworth man appeared in court yesterday for vandalising property belonging to another man whom he accused of supporting Dr Thokozani Khupe’s MDC-T instead of the MDC Alliance.
Asifa Mutsinga appeared before Harare magistrate Ms Josephine Sande, charged with malicious damage to property.
He was granted $50 bail and remanded to August 9.
The State alleges that on June 30 at Domboramwari shops in Epworth, Mutsinga confronted the complainant on why he had stopped attending MDC Alliance political party meetings.
Mutsinga accused the complainant of defecting from the MDC Alliance and supporting Dr Khupe’s MDC-T.
The State also alleges that Mutsinga tried to assault the complainant, but was held back by members of the public.
At around 2200hrs on the same day, Mutsinga and eight others allegedly
courts to deal with politically motivated cases and so far so good.
“I want to assure you and the nation that we are not going to spare anyone involved in political violence and we mean it. We are very serious about it.
“We mean business, we are not going to allow our people to suffer because of criminals.”
Snr Asst Comm Makodza said the police’s function in the elections would be guided by the Constitution and police officers who fail to deal with such cases would be brought before tribunals.
Responding to claims by some participants that Zanu-PF activists involved in politically motivated violence were being spared by police, Zanu-PF Secretary for Legal Affairs Cde Munyaradzi Paul Mangwana said ZRP was not part of Zanu-PF and the party did not control the police.
“We are a political player, a political party and ZRP is not part of us and we are not part of ZRP,” he said. approached the complainant at his house while chanting, “Kazembe mudenga, muroverei pasi”, while threatening to deal with him.
The gang allegedly left after some time.
On Thursday at around 0100hrs, the complainant was awakened by noise from stones being thrown on the roof of his house.
The complainant peeped through his window and managed to identify Mutsinga among the people who were throwing the stones before they disappeared from the scene.
A report was made to the police by the complainant, leading to Mutsinga’s arrest.
The damaged property was worth $120.
“If members of our political party commit political violence they must be arrested. As the secretary for legal affairs, I am the one responsible for defending Zanu-PF on legal matters.
“My instructions to lawyers representing the party is that we do not represent political players who are charged with violence.
“This is the instruction we got from the head of our party and the President of the country.
“He said if any of our members are responsible for any political violence, the victims must call the police and they should be arrested, adding that Zanu-PF will not protect them as a party.
“Our leader said we must have free and fair elections. We must cooperate as all political parties. Let us work together and build the Zimbabwe that we want.”
Zimbabwe Peace Project national director Ms Jestina Mukoko commended the police for their stance on political violence.
“I am very much aware of the issue of the police,” she said.
“When I first met Senior Assistant Commissioner Makodza, I told him that I was surprised when I was called an esteemed guest at his office.
“I was not used to it. I kept looking, thinking there was someone behind me, little did I know they were referring to me.
“In the old days, even a letter was not responded to, even one in which we are requesting a meeting.”