News / National
Tsvangirai dismisses violence report
07 May 2011 at 11:08hrs | Views
The Zimbabwean police have issued a report alleging that the Movement for Democratic Change wing of Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai exceeds President Robert Robert Mugabe's ZANU-PF and other parties in the commission of political violence.
The report released this week said intra-party violence in the MDC formation during the first four months of the year topped the national violence record despite claims by the party that its members are usually on the receiving end from ZANU-PF supporters.
The police report said more than 20 violent incidents were recorded during the build-up to the MDC's national congress held in Bulawayo last week.
Violence fIared in Masvingo, Bulawayo and Midlands during provincial congresses ahead of the main event in Bulawayo, prompting Mr.Tsvangirai to openly condemn the use of violence within the party. He has however accused ZANU-PF of fomenting violence.
The MDC resolved at the Bulawayo congress to form a committee that will investigate internecine violence, promising to bring perpetrators to book.
MDC spokesman Douglas Mwonzora told VOA reporter Jonga Kandemiiri that the party was not taking the police report seriously as it was made up out of whole cloth.
Director Phillip Pasirayi of the Center for Community Development in Zimbabwe dismissed the police report saying it's common knowledge that the police always protected ZANU-PF members who go about harassing MDC supporters.
The report released this week said intra-party violence in the MDC formation during the first four months of the year topped the national violence record despite claims by the party that its members are usually on the receiving end from ZANU-PF supporters.
The police report said more than 20 violent incidents were recorded during the build-up to the MDC's national congress held in Bulawayo last week.
Violence fIared in Masvingo, Bulawayo and Midlands during provincial congresses ahead of the main event in Bulawayo, prompting Mr.Tsvangirai to openly condemn the use of violence within the party. He has however accused ZANU-PF of fomenting violence.
The MDC resolved at the Bulawayo congress to form a committee that will investigate internecine violence, promising to bring perpetrators to book.
MDC spokesman Douglas Mwonzora told VOA reporter Jonga Kandemiiri that the party was not taking the police report seriously as it was made up out of whole cloth.
Director Phillip Pasirayi of the Center for Community Development in Zimbabwe dismissed the police report saying it's common knowledge that the police always protected ZANU-PF members who go about harassing MDC supporters.
Source - VOA
