News / National
Chamisa's MDC, G40 clash over 'abductions'
19 Nov 2020 at 06:49hrs | Views
CLAIMS by the opposition MDC-Alliance that its members are routinely abducted by State agents have been exposed as nothing but sheer fabrications following the recent exoneration of a senior party official accused of being behind the alleged kidnapping of Tawanda Muchehiwa in Bulawayo last July.
In revelations that have shocked the rank and file of the beleaguered opposition party, some senior MDC-A officials are pointing fingers at fellow members whom they accuse of working with the G40 faction to fabricate abduction tales.
Journalist-cum-political activist with close links to the G40, Mduduzi Mathuthu, has come out guns blazing accusing the opposition party of protecting and exonerating Bulawayo women's assembly chairperson Ms Tendai Masotsha in the abduction of Muchehiwa.
In a rant posted on his Twitter handle, Mathuthu challenged the MDC-A leadership to come clean over the abduction of Muchehiwa.
"Been through a hellish few months. MDC-Alliance SG Charlton Hwende has not helped the situation. He told the MDC standing committee last week, while defending Tendai Masotsha, that I'm pursuing a ‘G40 agenda' against his party.
"I pray the MDC has more sophisticated ways of addressing issues of this nature. It cannot be sufficient to dismiss victims as G40, while pursuing a shoddy investigation.
"I got frustrated writing this. My nephew is tortured near death, and Mr Hwende thinks I'm out to get his party. Was Masotsha working for the MDC-Alliance chief? I don't recall your party claiming parentage of July 31. Why don't you let her carry her own cross?" said Mathuthu on his Twitter account.
In response through the same social media platform, Hwende, who is the opposition party's secretary-general, denied shielding the women's assembly chair saying his job was not to protect individuals but the party. He insisted that Mathuthu was working with the G40 faction to weaken the opposition party.
"My job is not to defend individuals, but party positions. The report on the investigation of Masotsha was presented, debated and adopted by the party leadership," Hwende said.
Three opposition party officials namely MP Joana Mamombe and activists Cecilia Chimbiri and Netsai Marova are facing charges of faking abductions to besmirch the Second Republic.
Apparently, the fake abduction of Mathuthu's nephew was supposed to mirror the fake abduction of the trio in Bulawayo.
In the heated exchange, an irate Mathuthu revealed that Hwende uses multiple fake accounts on social media platforms to push and sustain the anti-Zimbabwe agenda including attacking other senior members of the opposition party.
"This one calling himself Gatsheni Gatsheni is Charlton Hwende. He has just labelled Job Sikhala, a senior member of his party, ‘G40' and accused him of leaking their discussions - all for the preservation of Tendai Masotsha.
"How do I know; you might ask? Well, Gatsheni always has documents he posts here when they are still hot. So I went into his inbox once to ask for a certain document, and provided my email. What happened next? Charlton Hwende dropped the documents on my WhatsApp," said Mathuthu.
Attempts by the MDC-A youth assembly chairperson Mr Obey Sithole to defend Mr Hwende came to naught as the majority of people who were following the heated exchange accused the MDC-A of faking abductions to gain political mileage.
The exoneration of Ms Masotsha from any involvement in the staged abduction of Mucheiwa proved beyond doubt that the opposition party was attempting to hush down a sinister agenda.
Ms Masotsha was said to have been in the company of Mucheiwa who was allegedly abducted in July. A journalism student, Mucheiwa was assisting Masotsha in mobilising people for the failed July 31 protests when he was allegedly abducted.
After being released from the faked abduction, Mucheiwa accused Ms Masotsha of being involved in the whole fiasco. The allegations by Mucheiwa prompted the MDC-A to set up an investigation committee and suspended Ms Masotsha who has since been found innocent of any wrongdoing.
In revelations that have shocked the rank and file of the beleaguered opposition party, some senior MDC-A officials are pointing fingers at fellow members whom they accuse of working with the G40 faction to fabricate abduction tales.
Journalist-cum-political activist with close links to the G40, Mduduzi Mathuthu, has come out guns blazing accusing the opposition party of protecting and exonerating Bulawayo women's assembly chairperson Ms Tendai Masotsha in the abduction of Muchehiwa.
In a rant posted on his Twitter handle, Mathuthu challenged the MDC-A leadership to come clean over the abduction of Muchehiwa.
"Been through a hellish few months. MDC-Alliance SG Charlton Hwende has not helped the situation. He told the MDC standing committee last week, while defending Tendai Masotsha, that I'm pursuing a ‘G40 agenda' against his party.
"I pray the MDC has more sophisticated ways of addressing issues of this nature. It cannot be sufficient to dismiss victims as G40, while pursuing a shoddy investigation.
"I got frustrated writing this. My nephew is tortured near death, and Mr Hwende thinks I'm out to get his party. Was Masotsha working for the MDC-Alliance chief? I don't recall your party claiming parentage of July 31. Why don't you let her carry her own cross?" said Mathuthu on his Twitter account.
In response through the same social media platform, Hwende, who is the opposition party's secretary-general, denied shielding the women's assembly chair saying his job was not to protect individuals but the party. He insisted that Mathuthu was working with the G40 faction to weaken the opposition party.
"My job is not to defend individuals, but party positions. The report on the investigation of Masotsha was presented, debated and adopted by the party leadership," Hwende said.
Apparently, the fake abduction of Mathuthu's nephew was supposed to mirror the fake abduction of the trio in Bulawayo.
In the heated exchange, an irate Mathuthu revealed that Hwende uses multiple fake accounts on social media platforms to push and sustain the anti-Zimbabwe agenda including attacking other senior members of the opposition party.
"This one calling himself Gatsheni Gatsheni is Charlton Hwende. He has just labelled Job Sikhala, a senior member of his party, ‘G40' and accused him of leaking their discussions - all for the preservation of Tendai Masotsha.
"How do I know; you might ask? Well, Gatsheni always has documents he posts here when they are still hot. So I went into his inbox once to ask for a certain document, and provided my email. What happened next? Charlton Hwende dropped the documents on my WhatsApp," said Mathuthu.
Attempts by the MDC-A youth assembly chairperson Mr Obey Sithole to defend Mr Hwende came to naught as the majority of people who were following the heated exchange accused the MDC-A of faking abductions to gain political mileage.
The exoneration of Ms Masotsha from any involvement in the staged abduction of Mucheiwa proved beyond doubt that the opposition party was attempting to hush down a sinister agenda.
Ms Masotsha was said to have been in the company of Mucheiwa who was allegedly abducted in July. A journalism student, Mucheiwa was assisting Masotsha in mobilising people for the failed July 31 protests when he was allegedly abducted.
After being released from the faked abduction, Mucheiwa accused Ms Masotsha of being involved in the whole fiasco. The allegations by Mucheiwa prompted the MDC-A to set up an investigation committee and suspended Ms Masotsha who has since been found innocent of any wrongdoing.
Source - the herald
