News / National
Chamisa's private security details slammed
13 Nov 2018 at 10:59hrs | Views
Many people - including MDC Alliance supporters - have regularly bemoaned the overzealousness and unnecessary heavy-handed approach of MDC leader Nelson Chamisa's private security details to their work.
Chamisa is said to be travelling in a convoy of 16 cars and block traffic everywhere he goes.
Information minister Monica Mutsvangwa, in a statement confirmed that the owner of a Toyota Harrier involved in the 'kidnap' incident with Chamisa was the one who was blocked by Chamisa's security team and attacked, leading to him reporting the matter to the police.
She said the real victims of the attack were civilians in the Toyota Harrier who had no links with State security and added that the police were carrying out further investigations.
Meanwhile, police have summoned Chamisa's head of security for questioning in connection a dramatic tussle that saw the opposition leader survive what the party claims was a kidnap attempt. MDC officials reported the incident at Mabvuku police station.
MDC spokesperson Jacob Mafume told the media at the Morgan Tsvangirai House, the party's main headquarters, on Monday that MDC head of security, Edward Gudhe was summoned for questioning by the police CID Law and Order Division.
Gudhe's fate was not yet known by end of business Monday.
The MDC spokesperson further claimed the state harboured a plot to kill his boss through a state-managed road accident.
At the rally Chamisa had repeated claims that intelligence and military operatives had been trailing him.
"I would like to acknowledge members of the Central intelligence Organisation and military intelligence," he said.
"Why I say so is because they have been following me whilst I was having prayers in Domboshava. They (intelligence officers) block our way. Even when I'm not with my entourage they follow and block them."
The MDC yesterday said it feared for the life of Chamisa, whom it claimed had narrowly escaped kidnapping by suspected State security agents over the weekend.
But the government has robustly dismissed the Saturday incident as nothing more than "a mere road rage" matter.
Addressing journalists at the party's headquarters in Harare yesterday, MDC spokesperson Jacob Mafume accused President Emmerson Mnangagwa's government of harbouring intentions to eliminate Chamisa via an orchestrated accident - and then go on to blame this on his drivers recklessness.
Mafume also alleged that Chamisa had been placed on a "sinister" 24-hour surveillance by State agents, thereby putting the 40 year-old opposition leader's life in danger.
"It is sinister in that the surveillance is being done in a manner that endangers the life of the president (Chamisa).
"They follow his motorcade at extraordinarily high speeds. They interfere with the vehicles in his motorcade and at times they almost run him off the road in blatant violation of road rules.
"We are certain the intention is to cause an accident and then accuse his drivers of negligence," Mafume said.
This comes amid MDC claims that there were attempts to abduct Chamisa as he was coming from Marondera at the weekend, where he had gone to address a rally at Rudhaka Stadium.
It is alleged that suspected security agents tried to block Chamisa's motorcade and to seize him in Harare's Mabvuku suburb.
However, the government has wholly dismissed the allegations of an attempted abduction as "baseless".
"Reports filed by the police indicate that some people were coming from Marondera driving behind what they later realised was … Chamisa's convoy.
"Suddenly, the convoy stopped and blocked them from overtaking. They were aggressively confronted and manhandled by members of … Chamisa's entourage including …
Chamisa who lobbed himself at the back seat of their vehicle, punching and scratching," Information minister Monica Mutsvangwa said in a statement.
However, the MDC insisted yesterday that there was "a continuous threat to … Chamisa's life".
"The concerns about Chamisa's security extend not only to him, but also to his family and other senior leaders in the party," Mafume said further.
He also claimed that in Saturday's incident, the suspected State agents had allegedly been armed with "sophisticated high-tech communication gadgets".
"They followed his motorcade from Marondera and when the security realised that they were being followed, as per their protocol, they deliberately drove into Ruwa to stave off the followers, who doggedly kept on their tail.
"The president's motorcade then returned to the highway, turned into Mabvuku and drove to the police station where a report was made," he said.
Chamisa narrowly lost to President Emmerson Mnangagwa in the hotly-disputed July 30 election, and went on to accuse the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec) of manipulating the results in favour of the Zanu-PF leader.
However, Mnangagwa's victory was upheld by the Constitutional Court which ruled that Chamisa had failed to provide evidence that he had won the election.
Chamisa is said to be travelling in a convoy of 16 cars and block traffic everywhere he goes.
Information minister Monica Mutsvangwa, in a statement confirmed that the owner of a Toyota Harrier involved in the 'kidnap' incident with Chamisa was the one who was blocked by Chamisa's security team and attacked, leading to him reporting the matter to the police.
She said the real victims of the attack were civilians in the Toyota Harrier who had no links with State security and added that the police were carrying out further investigations.
Meanwhile, police have summoned Chamisa's head of security for questioning in connection a dramatic tussle that saw the opposition leader survive what the party claims was a kidnap attempt. MDC officials reported the incident at Mabvuku police station.
MDC spokesperson Jacob Mafume told the media at the Morgan Tsvangirai House, the party's main headquarters, on Monday that MDC head of security, Edward Gudhe was summoned for questioning by the police CID Law and Order Division.
Gudhe's fate was not yet known by end of business Monday.
The MDC spokesperson further claimed the state harboured a plot to kill his boss through a state-managed road accident.
At the rally Chamisa had repeated claims that intelligence and military operatives had been trailing him.
"I would like to acknowledge members of the Central intelligence Organisation and military intelligence," he said.
"Why I say so is because they have been following me whilst I was having prayers in Domboshava. They (intelligence officers) block our way. Even when I'm not with my entourage they follow and block them."
The MDC yesterday said it feared for the life of Chamisa, whom it claimed had narrowly escaped kidnapping by suspected State security agents over the weekend.
But the government has robustly dismissed the Saturday incident as nothing more than "a mere road rage" matter.
Addressing journalists at the party's headquarters in Harare yesterday, MDC spokesperson Jacob Mafume accused President Emmerson Mnangagwa's government of harbouring intentions to eliminate Chamisa via an orchestrated accident - and then go on to blame this on his drivers recklessness.
Mafume also alleged that Chamisa had been placed on a "sinister" 24-hour surveillance by State agents, thereby putting the 40 year-old opposition leader's life in danger.
"They follow his motorcade at extraordinarily high speeds. They interfere with the vehicles in his motorcade and at times they almost run him off the road in blatant violation of road rules.
"We are certain the intention is to cause an accident and then accuse his drivers of negligence," Mafume said.
This comes amid MDC claims that there were attempts to abduct Chamisa as he was coming from Marondera at the weekend, where he had gone to address a rally at Rudhaka Stadium.
It is alleged that suspected security agents tried to block Chamisa's motorcade and to seize him in Harare's Mabvuku suburb.
However, the government has wholly dismissed the allegations of an attempted abduction as "baseless".
"Reports filed by the police indicate that some people were coming from Marondera driving behind what they later realised was … Chamisa's convoy.
"Suddenly, the convoy stopped and blocked them from overtaking. They were aggressively confronted and manhandled by members of … Chamisa's entourage including …
Chamisa who lobbed himself at the back seat of their vehicle, punching and scratching," Information minister Monica Mutsvangwa said in a statement.
However, the MDC insisted yesterday that there was "a continuous threat to … Chamisa's life".
"The concerns about Chamisa's security extend not only to him, but also to his family and other senior leaders in the party," Mafume said further.
He also claimed that in Saturday's incident, the suspected State agents had allegedly been armed with "sophisticated high-tech communication gadgets".
"They followed his motorcade from Marondera and when the security realised that they were being followed, as per their protocol, they deliberately drove into Ruwa to stave off the followers, who doggedly kept on their tail.
"The president's motorcade then returned to the highway, turned into Mabvuku and drove to the police station where a report was made," he said.
Chamisa narrowly lost to President Emmerson Mnangagwa in the hotly-disputed July 30 election, and went on to accuse the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec) of manipulating the results in favour of the Zanu-PF leader.
However, Mnangagwa's victory was upheld by the Constitutional Court which ruled that Chamisa had failed to provide evidence that he had won the election.
Source - online - dailynews
