Chamisa's CCC confronts Chiwenga

CITIZENS Coalition for Change (CCC) spokesperson Fadzayi Mahere asked Vice President Constantino Chiwenga retract his highly inflammatory statements in which he likened newly formed opposition party, Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) to parasitical insects, lice, which must be crushed mercilessly.

This comes as deputy president Tendai Biti's home was besieged by four armed alleged Zanu-PF youths who beat up his security guard and left him for dead.

CCC supporter Mboneli Ncube was killed by men identified by police as Zanu-PF youths.

They attacked the party's Midlands province by-election campaign rally with machetes, spears and other weapons.

Ncube was stabbed by a spear three times on his back and died upon arrival at Kwekwe hospital while many more were injured.

"We call for an immediate end to this clear pattern of political violence by Zanu-PF against CCC," said Mahere.

"We further call for a full retraction of the statements made by a senior Zanu-PF official to the effect that "CCC must be crushed like lice."

Of the 16 arrested after the Kwekwe incident, 11 have been released.

Added Mahere: "The statement was not only incendiary, genocidal and unconstitutional but wholly unacceptable in a constitutional democracy.

"The National Peace and Reconciliation, Human Rights Commission, Zimbabwe Electoral Commission and Zimbabwe Republic Police must urgently investigate these statements and the series of violent attacks against CCC and ensure there is accountability for the perpetrators.

"An electoral process soaked in the blood of innocent citizens is not the sort of electoral process that citizens of Zimbabwe deserve."

Zimbabwe is set to go for by-elections on March 26.