Mugabe has 'degrees in violence'

The Movement for Democratic Change party on Wednesday called on President Robert Mugabe to stop politically motivated violence reported in some parts of the country after properties belonging to two of its senior officials were destroyed in savage attacks by unknown assailants.

The MDC led by former prime minister Morgan Tsvangirai was quick to point fingers at Mugabe's ruling Zanu-PF party, charging Mugabe had "degrees in violence".

One of Tsvangirai's deputies, Elias Mudzuri, had his nightclub destroyed by a night fire. An MDC councilor in Harare's Kuwadzana high density suburb, Wilton Njanjasi, had the windows of his house shattered while his dura-wall was also damaged by unidentified assailants.

Employees at Mudzuri's business premises said the unknown assailants were found with an undisclosed sum of money, while the fire destroyed television sets and fridges as well as stock valued at $2000.

Politically motivated

"All the money that was in the bar is missing because the safe is nowhere to be found. We suspect that the assailants burnt the property to destroy evidence," said one of the workers, Tichaona Murevanhema.

"We think that destruction of the property was politically motivated since the proprietor (Mudzuri) is the vice president of the MDC."

When News24 arrived at the scene, detectives were investigating the case. Police spokesperson Senior Assistant Commissioner Charity Charamba was not answering her mobile phone.

At the same time, Njanjasi said he suspected that the attack on his house was also politically motivated because nothing was destroyed.

"The assailants were moving in two trucks; they did not steal anything from the house but only destroyed the wall and windows. A security guard who was manning the car park adjacent to my house said he was forced to lie down whilst a gun was being pointed at him and he had some bruises on his body," said Njanjasi.

Crushing and humiliating defeat

The attack on Mudzuri and Njanjasi's properties came barely a week after an MDC vehicle was burnt to ashes at a car park in the Kuwadzana suburb in another suspected politically motivated attack.

MDC spokesperson Obert Gutu maintained that the attacks pointed to Mugabe's Zanu-PF party.

"No rocket science is needed to conclude that these savage and thuggish criminal activities are orchestrated by Zanu PF thugs and agents as the country approaches the make or break 2018 elections. The Zanu-PF regime is cornered, deeply fractured, incorrigibly factionalised and crumbling. The regime is facing a crushing and humiliating defeat at next year's elections," said Gutu.

More than 200 opposition supporters were killed in politically motivated in the run-up to the 2008 presidential run-off resulting in Tsvangirai pulling out of the second round of voting. The former premier had defeated Mugabe in the first round but lacked adequate votes to be declared the winner in those elections.

The lack of Mugabe's legitimacy after the one-man run-off prompted the Southern African Development Community to appoint former South African President Thabo Mbeki to broker a political deal that ushered in a unity government that came to an end in 2013 when Zimbabwe held yet another disputed poll.