Violence at public hearing

VIOLENCE erupted during an Electoral Law Reforms public hearing at Iminyela Hall in Bulawayo yesterday forcing the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs to call off the meeting.

More than 400 Bulawayo residents and representatives of various organisations had gathered for the consultative meeting which was organised at the request of the Election Resource Centre (ERC) and 14 civic groups who petitioned Parliament to expedite electoral reforms.

The disruptions in Bulawayo follow similar incidents in Mutare on Thursday and Mutoko on Wednesday where rowdy youths attacked Parliamentarians.

The committee, chaired by Harare West Legislator Ms Jessie Majome, failed to calm the violence which erupted about 10 minutes into the meeting.

Zanu-PF and MDC-T youths accused each other of trying to personalise the public meeting, leading to the scuffle.

Police were called to the venue after participants started physically attacking each other following an exchange of harsh words over questions asked before the committee.

One of the participants asked what the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) was doing about dead people who were reportedly registered to vote.

Another agitated participant responded by asking if it was possible for dead people to vote, triggering the disturbances which saw some of the people, most of them youths, almost exchanging blows.

Some of the youths started shouting unprintable obscenities calling on the meeting to be called off while some insisted that the meeting should continue.

At some point Ms Majome argued with some of the committee members who felt that it was unsafe to be at the venue while she insisted that they could continue with assistance from the police.

However, all the participants were dismissed at 12 noon when the meeting was supposed to end. Some of the participants were still arguing and threatening each other with violence.

Ms Majome said she was disappointed that the people of Bulawayo allowed themselves to be provoked and missed an opportunity to discuss critical issues on the country's electoral process.

She said she was attacked in Mutare by similar elements who do not want electoral reforms in the country.

Ms Majome said the committee was still open to receive written submissions from members of the public.

The Committee is conducting public hearings on electoral law reforms.