Zanu PF primaries: Supporter murdered

A ZANU PF supporter was allegedly stabbed to death during the party’s primary elections held on March 25 this year when rival supporters had a vicious fight in Mutoko East, the Zimbabwe Independent has been told.

The allegations are contained in a report compiled by former Mutoko East legislator Ricky Mawere, who lost the primary election to sitting MP Richard Musiiwa.

The report was addressed to the ruling party’s commissariat department.

According to the report, Steven Ziyaya of Ward 19 in the constituency was allegedly stabbed by Prosper Nyapanemunda, a rival who was routing for Musiiwa shortly after finishing voting at Domborenhihwi

Secondary School.

“During the elections, in Domborenhihwi, Steven Ziyaya of Ward 19 was killed by Gonamero, a well-known supporter of Richard Musiiwa, the sitting MP,” Mawere alleged further citing irregularities in the elections.

“Apart from the said death several other people were tortured and/or beaten up as a victimisation and intimidation strategy to rig the election in favour of the sitting MP.”

His claims were also corroborated by a member of the Forever Associates of Zimbabwe (FAZ), who was conducting the primary elections.

“We were conducting elections at a nearby school when we heard that some of our members were fighting at the shops. By the time we got to the place, Ziyaya had been stabbed and was being ferried to the clinic,” the FAZ member said last week.

However, in an interview with the Independent Musiiwa stated that he was not involved in any violence.

“The people who fought were artisanal gold miners from a nearby mine. They fought over a US$10 debt. It had nothing to do with Zanu PF. Ziyaya was stabbed and died when he was being transported to Chidye clinic. He was from Mudzi where he was buried and was not even in our structures,” Musiiwa added.

He accused Mawere of trying to get the primary election’s result reversed.

“We have a member, who claims to belong to the party, but he is busy tarnishing and bringing its name into disrepute. Someone lost the election and is smearing the party’s name by claiming that the murder was related to political violence,” Musiiwa said.

In an audio shared on various social media platforms in Mutoko and within Zanu PF structures, Ward 19 councillor Christopher Machipisa said the leadership was advised of the stabbing incident.

“When we got there Steven had been taken away by Tineyi Kanyemba, a doctor, in his car to Chidye Clinic but he didn’t make it,” Machipisa claimed.

Zanu PF spokesperson Christopher Mutsvangwa did not respond to questions sent to him last week.

Police in Mashonaland East had also not responded by yesterday.