Zimpapers Logo

narrated his ordeal.
Mubaiwa sustained a deep cut after being struck with a brick.

MDC-T says its supporters were also seriously injured in the disturbances and were receiving treatment at the Avenues Clinic in Harare.
Mubaiwa said he was attacked while drinking beer at Unit M Shopping Centre on the eve of the planned rally.
“I came out of the bottle store to watch MDC-T youths who were singing outside. They had more than 20 vehicles and were denouncing President Mugabe. Little did I know I was one of their targets.

“They know me because I am a Zanu-PF supporter. Within minutes, I was hit by a brick and I fell down and someone punched me in the face, tearing my T-shirt in the process,” he said.
He said other known Zanu-PF supporters were also caught in the crossfire and were only saved by an armed policeman who was passing by.

ALSO SEE

• Violence rocks Chitungwiza
• Violence rocks Harare
  

“Seeing the policeman, they fled shouting obscenities but I was bleeding profusely and I later went and made a police report,” he said.
Mubaiwa was treated and discharged at Chitungwiza Central Hospital.
Unit H residents gave different versions of what happened between Saturday night and Sunday.

SEE PICTURES HERE

Mr Takura Madzima blamed Zanu-PF for the skirmishes.
“How could people go to play a soccer match when they knew there was supposed to be a rally in the next few hours? These people do not see eye-to-eye and this is a clear sign that someone had planned the violence,” he said.

But Mr Regis Mandava said MDC-T youths were to blame.
“They should have waited for them to finish their soccer tournament than deciding to force people out violently. We heard they were intimidating people at the shopping centre when they were announcing their rally, which is uncalled for these days,” he said.

DISCUSSION IN PROGRESS HERE

Chitungwiza Ward 20 (special interest) councillor Tichaona Chapfika, blamed MDC-T, adding they had disrupted his soccer tournament.
“We knew they had a rally at 11am, but to our surprise they wanted to re-move us (from the stadium) at 8am. They fought among themselves becau-se there was a group opposed to their MP Alexio

Musundure fighting against the other youths. It is unfortunate that our youths were caught up in the skirmishes,” he said.

Zanu-PF Harare youth provincial chairman, Cde Jimu Kunaka, said the party stands by President Mugabe’s calls for an end to violence.
“We are a party of unity and development and will never go against that. We are the minority and we are always under attack from the MDC-T. We are going to remain a peaceful party even if they provoke us,” he said.

MDC-T Harare provincial chairperson Mr Paul Madzore said police should have protected the MDC-T.
“It is not about the numbers, but about one’s mindset. Youths should just desist from this culture of violence because it kills development,” he said.
“We had notified the police, meaning we sought their protection but when they apply the law selectively, then we know we have a deficit in the country.”

In response, police spokesperson Chief Superintendent Oliver Mandipaka: “They told us they would have a rally at 11am but surprisingly police heard of the violence as early as 8am. Police did a good job as they moved in swiftly to quell the violence.”
Social commentators attributed the violence to social problems such as unemployment.

Mr Alexander Kanengoni said unemployed youths could easily be sponsored to participate in violent activities.
“Most youths mainly those in high-density areas are unemployed and can be used for peanuts. That is the reason why most of the violence happens in high-density areas,” he said.

JOMIC said only political parties could stop the violence.
“There is need for national healing. We have tried engaging provincial chairpersons (of parties) over the issue but most of them boycott the meetings and at the end of the day we achieve nothing. It takes efforts from the three parties to stop this madness,” said a JOMIC official.

Last Tuesday, gospel musician from Chiedza Chevatendi Tapiwa Chibaya was attacked outside MDC-T headquarters, Harvest House and sustained a perforated eardrum after he tried to confiscate pirated versions of their music which the youths were selling.
The previous week youths had clashed in Hatcliffe, Kambuzuma and Highfield.