Chamisa, Biti disown supporters

MDC-ALLIANCE president Mr Nelson Chamisa and the party’s deputy national chairperson Mr Tendai Biti yesterday disowned the demonstrators who ran amok on August 1 resulting in the death of six people.

The opposition party’s leadership said this when they appeared before the Commission of Inquiry investigating the violence that broke out in the capital after the July 30 harmonised elections.

The denials by the two is contrary to evidence that has been presented to the Commission by different people of various political parties.

In his remarks yesterday, Mr Chamisa said his party had not organised the violent demonstration and that he was not aware of the real reason for the demonstrations.

“Those who were demonstrating or protesting were not doing so on the instruction of the MDC, its organs, or its leaders,” he said.

Mr Chamisa said those that participated in the violent demonstration should have been arrested.

“I don’t own people,” he said. “Once a person destroys, he is a criminal and should be arrested.”

Mr Chamisa raised political arguments in his presentation and also said the Vanguard, a militant group formed by the party’s youths, was not violent.

The group has been accused of unleashing violence on anyone who challenges Mr Chamisa’s leadership and attempted to burn MDC-T president Dr Thokozani Khupe and other party officials who had sought refugee in a hut at former party leader Mr Morgan Tsvangirai burial in Buhera.

Mr Chamisa recently described the party supporters that demonstrated on the fateful day as “stupid” for taking to the streets before the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission had announced the results as required by the law.

Mr Biti, who was the first to appear before the Commission, said he did not incite violence.

“We as MDC did not sanction or lead any protest on August 1, the last time we had a demonstration was on July 11,” he said.

“Anything outside the law is not ours and no one should give us paternity to it.”

Asked to comment on what he meant when he made utterances of “defending” the vote, Mr Biti said he meant defending it legally.

“When we made the statements that we will defend the vote, we meant defending it legally by going to court like we have been doing,” he said.