Zanu-PF responsible for terror, says Chamisa's MDC

MDC leader Nelson Chamisa's spokesperson, Nkululeko Sibanda has said President Emmerson Mnangagwa and his deputy Constantino Chiwenga cannot be absolved from the reign of terror that happened in the past four days as the country witnessed a shutdown triggered by the worsening economic crisis.

Sibanda said reports now coming through non-governmental organisations, churches, the courts, among others suggested that acts of violence were carefully coordinated by the ruling Zanu-PF party leadership.

"They organised three distinct groups under three different commanders who reported directly to General Chiwenga," he said in a statement.

Sibanda put responsibility of the chaos in the country solely on Zanu-PF.

"There was a group for looting and public violence (meant to discredit public demonstrations), one for extreme and countrywide repression (using degrading treatment such as beatings, rape, grave bodily harm) and one for killing Zimbabweans (shooting civilians to show that the government is prepared to kill)," he said.

Sibanda said credible reports available showed that the State carefully organised Zanu-PF youths to infiltrate the mass stayaway protesters and loot a few shops for their personal benefit.

"The genocidal former Fifth Brigade military personnel of the Gukurahundi fame were deployed in uniform to residential areas, whereupon they would use North Korean repression tactics. This large group was deployed nationally and was supplied with heavy drugs," he alleged. "In and around the areas of demonstrations, automatic gun-wielding Presidential Guards were deployed, ununiformed to do the killings, while avoiding identification as soldiers. This means victims would not know a killer was around until they are hit. These tactics are not allowed even in active war zones."

But Zanu-PF denied any wrongdoing, urging the MDC to approach the court if they have evidence.

"That's hogwash. If they have any evidence, let them go to court," Zanu-PF spokesperson Simon Khaya Moyo said.

The MDC called on Sadc to intervene and investigate the serious circumstances in which grave crimes against humanity were committed, saying Zimbabwean leaders were adversely affecting the image of the region.