News / National
MDC-T Accused of Peddling Falsehoods Over Political Violence
16 Feb 2011 at 11:26hrs | Views
MDC-T has been accused of circulating a document full of false claims that the party is a victim of ZanuPF and State violence ahead of elections to be held later this year.
MDC-T secretary-general Mr Tendai Biti is said to have first presented the document to some diplomats on February 8 soon after disturbances at the Gulf Complex in Harare.
The document is titled "Zanu-PF turns xenophobic".
It is understood that diplomats who attended the meeting, which was also attended by chairperson of the party's women's assembly Mrs Theresa Makone, were given copies of the document.
MDCT claims security agents are helping ZanuPF members to perpetrate violence.
The document in question was also sent to Brussels, Belgium, last week ahead of a European Union meeting to extend illegal sanctions on Zimbabwe.
Government sources last night said this was meant to convince the EU that Zimbabwe deserved an extension of sanctions.
The EU yesterday extended the sanctions for another year.
Although the Prime Minister's Office has tried to deny existence of the document, it emerged yesterday that MDCT presented the very same report at a National Security Council meeting last week.
After the security council meeting, police proceeded to investigate the claims and produced a written response on Monday.
MDC-T claimed that a group of soldiers from 4.2 Infantry Battalion beat up people at Mupandawana Growth Point in Gutu and injured dozens of them.
Police responded: "On 26 January (the day in question) at about 23:45, police officers who were on patrol led by number 032668X went to Gutu Bar and discovered that the bar was still open and ordered the closure of the bar.
"Two soldiers, Lawrence Danhure and Tatenda Musonza, and a civilian Thomas Zvenyika grumbled over the closure of the bar. The three were arrested by police for disorderly conduct at public place and the soldiers paid fine of US$10. No person was injured."
MDC-T also claimed that Zanu-PF members ordered councillors belonging to the former in Gokwe to leave their offices before February 11 but police findings showed that there was never such a thing.
Instead, the people said to have clashed -- Cde Mike Gwasha and Mr Darlington Madondo -- were seen drinking merrily together at Volley Night Club in Gokwe.
MDC-T secretary-general Mr Tendai Biti is said to have first presented the document to some diplomats on February 8 soon after disturbances at the Gulf Complex in Harare.
The document is titled "Zanu-PF turns xenophobic".
It is understood that diplomats who attended the meeting, which was also attended by chairperson of the party's women's assembly Mrs Theresa Makone, were given copies of the document.
MDCT claims security agents are helping ZanuPF members to perpetrate violence.
The document in question was also sent to Brussels, Belgium, last week ahead of a European Union meeting to extend illegal sanctions on Zimbabwe.
Government sources last night said this was meant to convince the EU that Zimbabwe deserved an extension of sanctions.
The EU yesterday extended the sanctions for another year.
Although the Prime Minister's Office has tried to deny existence of the document, it emerged yesterday that MDCT presented the very same report at a National Security Council meeting last week.
After the security council meeting, police proceeded to investigate the claims and produced a written response on Monday.
MDC-T claimed that a group of soldiers from 4.2 Infantry Battalion beat up people at Mupandawana Growth Point in Gutu and injured dozens of them.
Police responded: "On 26 January (the day in question) at about 23:45, police officers who were on patrol led by number 032668X went to Gutu Bar and discovered that the bar was still open and ordered the closure of the bar.
"Two soldiers, Lawrence Danhure and Tatenda Musonza, and a civilian Thomas Zvenyika grumbled over the closure of the bar. The three were arrested by police for disorderly conduct at public place and the soldiers paid fine of US$10. No person was injured."
MDC-T also claimed that Zanu-PF members ordered councillors belonging to the former in Gokwe to leave their offices before February 11 but police findings showed that there was never such a thing.
Instead, the people said to have clashed -- Cde Mike Gwasha and Mr Darlington Madondo -- were seen drinking merrily together at Volley Night Club in Gokwe.
Source - The Herald
