News / National
MDC-T youth bombed Zanu-PF district office in Mbare, state media suspects
15 Feb 2011 at 05:17hrs | Views
This Article was originally published by The Herald on Monday 14th Feb, its not clear yet if the two suspected bombers are really MDC-T members or its just some stunt by ZANU-PF or MDC-M to try and gain more votes in the upcoming elections.
Below is the original article as it appeared on the The Herald's website, Monday, 14 February 2011 22:06. We just reformatted the article for easy readability, no.
FIVE petrol bombs were thrown at the Zanu-PF district offi-ce in Mbare early yesterday morning in what is suspected to be an attack by MDC-T youths.
Two people are in police custody over the bombing.
This is the second time in a month that petrol-bombings have rocked Mbare, with Zanu-PF being the target in both instances.
Police said property and clothes were destroyed when five petrol bombs were detonated at Zanu-PF's Joshua Nko-mo district offices in Matapi at around 1am yesterday.
No one was injured.
Harare provincial police spokesperson Inspector James Sabau yesterday said, "Eight Zanu-PF members were sleep-ing at the offices at the time of the bombing, but no one was injured. We are still investigating."
He warned political parties to desist from violence or risk arrest and prosecution.
Zanu-PF treasurer for women in Ward Three, Cde Tozive-pi Gweshe (43), said she was asleep at the offices when she heard footsteps outside and peeped through the window to investigate.
"That is when one of the petrol bombs was thrown at the bed. A few minutes later, another one was thrown through the window and it hit the wardrobe and exploded into a huge ball of fire. We were five (including four children) in the room and I screamed for help, awakening some of my colleagues who were sleeping next door," she said.
Cde Gweshe said when she opened the door, she discovered three more petrol bombs near the doorstep.
She said they used water buckets to put out the fire.
Cde Temba Mwasambo said he heard the screams and ran to help Cde Gweshe.
"With the help of others we managed to extinguish the fire and informed the police. The police tracked the suspects and managed to arrest two of them in Mbare," he said.
Blankets, clothes, curtains, identification particulars and US$40 cash were destroyed.
Insp Sabau said last Friday, four MDC-T youths were arrested in Mabvuku in connection with a stock theft case. He said an MDC-T councillor, Munyaradzi Kufahakutizwe, issued threats of violence against Juliana Mavindidze and Josphat Manyame who are all Zanu-PF members as revenge for the arrests.
"He accused them of causing the arrests of the four youths and further said that if anything had happened to them, there was going to be a bloodbath in the area," said Insp Sabau.
He said a report was then made to the police.
The following day, 53 MDC-T activists went to a house belonging to late Mabvuku-Tafara legislator Shepherd Madamombe. It is alleged they were planning to carry out acts of violence and were arrested after police received a tip-off.
Zanu-PF Politburo member Cde Tendai Savanhu yesterday went to assess the damage in Mbare, and said MDC-T was trying to provoke the revolutionary party.
"We have always maintained and urged our supporters to refrain from any forms of violence and that they should not respond in any manner.
"They (MDC-T) want to portray a picture that there is violence in the country. If they have realised that they cannot win elections, they should come up with a good product to sell to the people. We are aware that they don't want elections," Cde Savanhu said.
Zanu-PF Harare provincial chairman Cde Amos Midzi urged other political leaders to refrain from violence.
"Zanu-PF members are the only ones who are being attacked and it appears that we are the only ones committed to peace while the leadership of the other political parties remains silent.
"To all Zimbabweans and Zanu-PF in particular, we should not be tempted to engage in counter-violent measures."
MDC-T has, however, accused Zanu-PF of fomenting violence, though police statistics show otherwise.
Early this month, a suspected petrol bomb was detonated at Mbare's Siya-So market stalls in what preliminary investigations indicate was an attack by suspected MDC-T youths.
Timber worth more than US$600 000 was destroyed in the bombing, which occurred a few days after Zanu-PF's youth chair for Harare Province ' Cde Jimu Kunaka ' was assaulted by MDC-T youths at a food court in the city.
Earlier in the week, seven MDC-T youths were arrested on allegations of stoking violence in Mbare.
There has also been violence in Budiriro and Epworth, which police suspect MDC-T has orchestrated.
The attempts at chaos follow MDC-T leader Mr Morgan Tsvangirai's recent statements to the international media in which he appeared to try and justify use of violence as was been witnessed in Tunisia and Egypt.
Police have recovered various dangerous weapons including axes and knobkerries from those they have arrested.
President Mugabe is on record calling on his partners in the inclusive Government to organise joint meetings with the Zanu-PF leadership to encourage rival party supporters to desist from political violence.
The President's call is still to be heeded.
Police Commissioner-General Augustine Chihuri has warned those behind political violence that they will not treat them with kid gloves.
FIVE petrol bombs were thrown at the Zanu-PF district offi-ce in Mbare early yesterday morning in what is suspected to be an attack by MDC-T youths.
Two people are in police custody over the bombing.
This is the second time in a month that petrol-bombings have rocked Mbare, with Zanu-PF being the target in both instances.
Police said property and clothes were destroyed when five petrol bombs were detonated at Zanu-PF's Joshua Nko-mo district offices in Matapi at around 1am yesterday.
No one was injured.
Harare provincial police spokesperson Inspector James Sabau yesterday said, "Eight Zanu-PF members were sleep-ing at the offices at the time of the bombing, but no one was injured. We are still investigating."
He warned political parties to desist from violence or risk arrest and prosecution.
Zanu-PF treasurer for women in Ward Three, Cde Tozive-pi Gweshe (43), said she was asleep at the offices when she heard footsteps outside and peeped through the window to investigate.
"That is when one of the petrol bombs was thrown at the bed. A few minutes later, another one was thrown through the window and it hit the wardrobe and exploded into a huge ball of fire. We were five (including four children) in the room and I screamed for help, awakening some of my colleagues who were sleeping next door," she said.
Cde Gweshe said when she opened the door, she discovered three more petrol bombs near the doorstep.
She said they used water buckets to put out the fire.
Cde Temba Mwasambo said he heard the screams and ran to help Cde Gweshe.
"With the help of others we managed to extinguish the fire and informed the police. The police tracked the suspects and managed to arrest two of them in Mbare," he said.
Blankets, clothes, curtains, identification particulars and US$40 cash were destroyed.
Insp Sabau said last Friday, four MDC-T youths were arrested in Mabvuku in connection with a stock theft case. He said an MDC-T councillor, Munyaradzi Kufahakutizwe, issued threats of violence against Juliana Mavindidze and Josphat Manyame who are all Zanu-PF members as revenge for the arrests.
"He accused them of causing the arrests of the four youths and further said that if anything had happened to them, there was going to be a bloodbath in the area," said Insp Sabau.
He said a report was then made to the police.
The following day, 53 MDC-T activists went to a house belonging to late Mabvuku-Tafara legislator Shepherd Madamombe. It is alleged they were planning to carry out acts of violence and were arrested after police received a tip-off.
Zanu-PF Politburo member Cde Tendai Savanhu yesterday went to assess the damage in Mbare, and said MDC-T was trying to provoke the revolutionary party.
"We have always maintained and urged our supporters to refrain from any forms of violence and that they should not respond in any manner.
"They (MDC-T) want to portray a picture that there is violence in the country. If they have realised that they cannot win elections, they should come up with a good product to sell to the people. We are aware that they don't want elections," Cde Savanhu said.
Zanu-PF Harare provincial chairman Cde Amos Midzi urged other political leaders to refrain from violence.
"Zanu-PF members are the only ones who are being attacked and it appears that we are the only ones committed to peace while the leadership of the other political parties remains silent.
"To all Zimbabweans and Zanu-PF in particular, we should not be tempted to engage in counter-violent measures."
MDC-T has, however, accused Zanu-PF of fomenting violence, though police statistics show otherwise.
Early this month, a suspected petrol bomb was detonated at Mbare's Siya-So market stalls in what preliminary investigations indicate was an attack by suspected MDC-T youths.
Timber worth more than US$600 000 was destroyed in the bombing, which occurred a few days after Zanu-PF's youth chair for Harare Province ' Cde Jimu Kunaka ' was assaulted by MDC-T youths at a food court in the city.
Earlier in the week, seven MDC-T youths were arrested on allegations of stoking violence in Mbare.
There has also been violence in Budiriro and Epworth, which police suspect MDC-T has orchestrated.
The attempts at chaos follow MDC-T leader Mr Morgan Tsvangirai's recent statements to the international media in which he appeared to try and justify use of violence as was been witnessed in Tunisia and Egypt.
Police have recovered various dangerous weapons including axes and knobkerries from those they have arrested.
President Mugabe is on record calling on his partners in the inclusive Government to organise joint meetings with the Zanu-PF leadership to encourage rival party supporters to desist from political violence.
The President's call is still to be heeded.
Police Commissioner-General Augustine Chihuri has warned those behind political violence that they will not treat them with kid gloves.
Source - The Herald
