Zanu PF has accused the opposition party, CCC led by Nelson Chamisa of orchestrating the violence which broke out in Kwekwe killing one person last Sunday in order to stain the ruling party’s image and give western countries basis for the imposition of fresh sanctions on Zimbabwe.
This was said by Zanu PF spokesperson, Christopher Mutsvangwa who told reporters at the party Headquarters in Harare this afternoon that the ruling party had no hand in the violence in Kwekwe in the wake of “unsubstantiated” accusations on social media.
Mutsvangwa also dismissed the alleged Zimbabwe Republic of Police document linking his party to the violence.
“We cannot as a party be accused by social media through what is purported to be a leaked police document,” he said.
“The police when they investigate they don’t report to the social media, they report to the prosecutor general. So for people to jump to the conclusion that violence was caused by Zanu PF ahead of investigations shows there was a premeditated agenda to try and corner our party with accusations which has been typical of the MDC since its formation.”
The veteran politician also said the accusations on his party were not coincidental as they came at a time the western countries were about to review economic measures on the country.
“This violence is always in February. There is a ritual in February for the past 20 years. Every February is when the western sanctions of America are reviewed; every February is when the EU is supposed to renew its so called measures against Zimbabwe. So there was an effort to ensure that something happens in February,” said Mutsvangwa.
With reference to the abduction of opposition activists and politicians, he said the main opposition party was in the habit of faking abductions to gain sympathy from western powers.
However, Nelson Chamisa and his party have on countless occasions refuted these claims.
The CCC party insists that the Kwekwe violence was targeted at his supporters by rogue ruling party members.
Meanwhile, the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) has added its voice to the growing calls against the resurgence of politically motivated violence, ending its long deafening silence over the matter ahead of by-elections penciled for March 26.
“The Commission condemns and abhors in the strongest terms such acts of violence which have the effect of marring and negatively impacting the electoral environment in the build up to the 26th March 2022,” said ZEC chairperson Justice Priscilla Chigumba in a statement.
“It is disheartening to note that such acts of violence are taking place notwithstanding the Commission’s plea at a recently held Multi-party Liaison Meeting where political parties were advised to adhere to the Political Parties Code of Conduct set out in the Fourth Schedule of the Electoral Act and to which their candidates made an undertaking to comply with when they submitted their nomination papers.”
