Twelve MDC MPs arrested as army continues crackdown

Twelve MDC members of parliament have been arrested so far at the joint operation between  the Zimbabwe Republic Police and the Zimbabwe Defense Forces continued a crackdown on MDC and civic society officials who are alleged to be behind the violent protests that rocked Zimbabwe last week Monday.

Tabitha Khumalo a Bulawayo based MDC MP is in hiding after she was tipped that police were looking for her and were heading towards her home.

MDC National Executive member Maureen Kademaunga revealed the extent of the crackdown that the state was waging against the MDC officials.

Find her full statement below:

MDC leadership and activists are being targeted. Our only crime is not supporting ZANU PF. Our members are being picked from their homes in the cover of dark and being brutalized.

We have 12 Members of Parliament behind bars, the latest pick being Hon Rusty Markham of Harare North. Hon. Amos Chibaya, our Organising Secretary was the first to be picked and we know that he is being targeted for the brilliant Presidential campaign he led in 2018 leading to our President Adv. Nelson Chamisa winning the election ahead of Emmerson Mnangagwa.

Our Youth Assembly leaders Chairman Happymore Chidziva, his Secretary General Lovemore Chinoputsa and their entire Management Committee have had to seek safety from the wrath of the hit squads. Party National Chairperson Hon. Tabitha Khumalo's house was raided over the weekend.

We are aware of a list comprising of most of our National Executive Council members, Provincial leaders and some District leaders who are being targeted for abduction and arrests. Many grassroots activists have been picked and tortured. ZANU PF seems to be planning a total annihilation of the MDC by eliminating all its key leaders using state machinery.

Social movements and CSOs suspected to be linked to the MDC are also being targeted. When ARTUZ's Obert Masaraure was abducted his wife explained on facebook that the squad was hitting him and asking questions like "Where is Chamisa?" Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition spoke out against the brutality and their Chairperson's mother was abducted in a bid to force her son to surrender himself. Government accuses these independent organisations of working with the MDC and have promised to continue with the crackdown.

Many innocent Zimbabweans have been killed, maimed or arrested in this operation whose agenda is becoming clear, the total annihilation of the MDC. George Charamba said in an interview on ZTV that even though the stay away was called by ZCTU his government was convinced that the rioters were Chamisa's people because they looked like unemployed youngsters.

How do we deal with a government that makes conclusions that are baseless and not informed by any form of investigation? And again is it a crime to support the MDC?