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Grace Mugabe ally in violence storm
06 Nov 2014 at 22:14hrs | Views
Zanu-PF youth leader Godwin Gomwe and a key ally of First Lady Grace Mugabe has been fingered as the mastermind behind the choreographed demonstrations rocking Harare South.
Three days ago, Gomwe allegedly bussed youths to the same constituency to demonstrate against the party provincial political commissar Shadreck Mashayamombe, who is also the legislator for the same constituency.
Yesterday, there were violent clashes yet again in Harare South as housing cooperatives clashed, with Gomwe's name featuring prominently.
Members of the Tirivepano Housing Cooperative who are aligned to Mashayamombe and were given residential stands by the local board were attacked by members of the Nyasha Dzamwari Housing Cooperative, which had allegedly hired Gomwe.
Tirivepano Housing Cooperative, made up of youths from Harare South, had to run away as yobs who were bussed in commuter omnibuses started attacking them.
Antony Gono, the deputy chairman of the Tirivepano Housing Cooperative accused Gomwe, who is Harare provincial youth chairperson, of being behind the attack. "We applied for this land and we got it from the local board.
"However, Nyasha Dzamwari Housing Cooperative owned by one Mai Chitsinde was not happy about the development and they hired Gomwe to come and remove us from this place," he said.
But Gomwe, who lost council elections in Budiriro last year, denied the allegations.
"I live in Budiriro and I have nothing to do with creating chaos in other constituencies. People are lying. Go back to those who told you so that they can tell you more lies," fumed Gomwe.
But the Harare youths claim Gomwe is targeting persons perceived to belong to vice president Joice Mujuru's faction.
According to Gono, the boisterous gang that attacked them yesterday charged that Harare province was opposed to the ascendancy of Grace to be the Zanu-PF women's league boss.
This is despite the fact that the first lady brokered a peace deal between warring factions in the province and also absolved Mashayamombe.
"Gomwe brought his youths to beat us today (yesterday) and destroy some of the houses that have been built.
"This is very unfortunate because Tirivepano Housing Cooperative belongs to youths and we are shocked that our youth leader wants to disempower us," added Gono.
"Gomwe's youths claim that we are anti-first lady and yet we love our president, his wife and the party. We want to ask Gomwe what we have done to him for him to attack us," said Gono.
Zanu-PF Harare provincial chairman Amos Midzi said he was aware of the chaos in the province.
"We are aware of what is happening and we are discussing it to see how best we can resolve this."
Conctated for comment, Mashayamombe said: "I do not know what is happening but someone is out to cause chaos in my constituency."
Three days ago, Gomwe allegedly bussed youths to the same constituency to demonstrate against the party provincial political commissar Shadreck Mashayamombe, who is also the legislator for the same constituency.
Yesterday, there were violent clashes yet again in Harare South as housing cooperatives clashed, with Gomwe's name featuring prominently.
Members of the Tirivepano Housing Cooperative who are aligned to Mashayamombe and were given residential stands by the local board were attacked by members of the Nyasha Dzamwari Housing Cooperative, which had allegedly hired Gomwe.
Tirivepano Housing Cooperative, made up of youths from Harare South, had to run away as yobs who were bussed in commuter omnibuses started attacking them.
Antony Gono, the deputy chairman of the Tirivepano Housing Cooperative accused Gomwe, who is Harare provincial youth chairperson, of being behind the attack. "We applied for this land and we got it from the local board.
"However, Nyasha Dzamwari Housing Cooperative owned by one Mai Chitsinde was not happy about the development and they hired Gomwe to come and remove us from this place," he said.
But Gomwe, who lost council elections in Budiriro last year, denied the allegations.
"I live in Budiriro and I have nothing to do with creating chaos in other constituencies. People are lying. Go back to those who told you so that they can tell you more lies," fumed Gomwe.
But the Harare youths claim Gomwe is targeting persons perceived to belong to vice president Joice Mujuru's faction.
According to Gono, the boisterous gang that attacked them yesterday charged that Harare province was opposed to the ascendancy of Grace to be the Zanu-PF women's league boss.
This is despite the fact that the first lady brokered a peace deal between warring factions in the province and also absolved Mashayamombe.
"Gomwe brought his youths to beat us today (yesterday) and destroy some of the houses that have been built.
"This is very unfortunate because Tirivepano Housing Cooperative belongs to youths and we are shocked that our youth leader wants to disempower us," added Gono.
"Gomwe's youths claim that we are anti-first lady and yet we love our president, his wife and the party. We want to ask Gomwe what we have done to him for him to attack us," said Gono.
Zanu-PF Harare provincial chairman Amos Midzi said he was aware of the chaos in the province.
"We are aware of what is happening and we are discussing it to see how best we can resolve this."
Conctated for comment, Mashayamombe said: "I do not know what is happening but someone is out to cause chaos in my constituency."
Source - dailynews
