Khupe slams Chamisa over violent protests

POLITICAL parties yesterday condemned the violence that rocked Harare on Wednesday courtesy of the MDC Alliance with the MDC-T led by Dr Thokozani Khupe blaming the Nelson Chamisa-led opposition outfit for initiating the disturbances.

Six people died in the MDC Alliance-organised illegal, violent demonstrations which sought to disrupt further announcement of the July 30 harmonised election results which were resoundingly won by Zanu-PF.

The Alliance was trounced by Zanu-PF in the National Assembly after the ruling party garnered 145 seats against the opposition's 63.

The National Patriotic Front managed one seat while the other went to independent Mr Temba Mliswa. "MDC-T president Dr Thokozani Khupe wishes to convey her deepest condolences to the families of victims who lost their loved ones during the violence that occurred in Harare yesterday," said Dr Khupe in a statement released by her officer, Mr Witness Dube.

She added: "Initial reports suggest that this unwarranted loss of lives was as a result of a combination of fatal force on civilians by the security services, and reckless political brinkmanship by a formation which believes in using violence as a means of scoring political gains."

Dr Khupe, whose party also lost the election like the MDC Alliance, urged peace.

"Dr Thokozani Khupe wishes to advise all Zimbabweans to remain calm and to consider peaceful, democratic, legal and sober ways of expressing their views regarding the watershed plebiscite we just had as a country," she said.

Zanu-PF also strongly condemned the violence by the MDC Alliance and urged peace. Addressing a press conference in Harare yesterday, the ruling party's Secretary for Legal Affairs, Paul Mangwana, who is also its representative on the Multiparty Liaison Committee, laid the blame of Wednesday events squarely on the MDC Alliance.

"We appealed to our supporters yesterday when the Chamisa- led MDC started provoking them to exercise restraint that they did and we are happy that they were not involved in any political fracas yesterday," Mangwana said.

He added: "It is not right at this moment to be apportioning blame, let us let the investigations to be complete and the truth will be revealed but certainly it is supporters of MDC led by Chamisa who caused the trouble."

South Africa's African National Congress (ANC) national executive committee member and former spokesperson Mr Zizi Kodwa yesterday said MDC-Alliance leader Mr Nelson Chamisa must be held accountable for the violence that rocked Harare on Wednesday, after he issued inflammatory and reckless statements.

"Nelson Chamisa of MDC must be held accountable for inflammatory and reckless statements which has now led to eruption of violent protests in Harare. What started as peaceful elections in Zimbabwe history. He irresponsibly declared himself a "winner". #ZimDecides2018," Mr Kodwa said on his official Twitter handle. Bishops in Bulawayo also strongly condemned the violence yesterday.

In a statement, Reverend Sikhalo Cele, the spokesperson for the bishops, said: "The violence that has occurred in some areas of Harare has left some people hurt and lives lost. We do not want anyone to be hurt in any way by what is happening. We express our heartfelt and deepest condolences to the families of those members of our society who have died during the protest. We understand the anxiety of our communities as they await the announcement of the final results. All political party leaders should engage in constructive dialogue and restrain their members from engaging in any violent behaviour.