Police hunt for Murehwa violence suspects

Police are looking for the perpetrators of political violence which allegedly took place in Murehwa, after the emergence of video clips which have since gone viral on social media.

In the video, some people can be seen assaulting elderly women and men at a homestead, reportedly in Murehwa.

National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi said investigations into the case were now in progress. "The Zimbabwe Republic Police has taken note of a video which has gone viral on social media on alleged political violence in Murewa North.

"Investigations are now in progress. More details will be released in due course," he said. Over the weekend, Zanu-PF Mashonaland East Province distanced itself from the individuals in the alleged political violence video saying that the people appearing in the video were neither members of the party nor any of its known affiliates.

In a statement, Zanu-PF chairperson for Mashonaland East, Daniel Garwe, said they had noted with great concern a video circulating on social media purportedly showing a group of individuals physically abusing elderly people in Murewa.

"Apart from the disgusting physical abuse captured in the video, the province is disturbed by allegations that the perpetrators are Zanu-PF members acting on behalf of unidentified bosses.

"The province hereby distances itself from the individuals in the viral video. They are neither members of Zanu-PF Mashonaland East Province nor any known affiliate and were clearly hired to further nefarious agendas, including soiling the image of His Excellency President Emmerson Mnangagwa and the Second Republic," said Garwe.

He said the individuals are not identified anywhere in the video by word or clothing as members of Zanu-PF.

"It is therefore presumptuous, hasty and even sinister to rush to brand them as Zanu-PF members given that we are in an election season often fraught with all sorts of chicanery.

"The opposition Citizen Coalition for Change's propensity to stage-manage ‘political violence' incidents ahead of elections is well documented and some of their senior officials are currently before the courts for  such lies.

The possibility that the Murewa incident was also stage-managed to draw negative international attention should not be discounted at this point," Garwe said.

"As a province, we urge all citizens to wait for accurate pronunciations from the Zimbabwe Republic Police which is currently conducting investigations."

Garwe said the province remain guided by the consistent call for peace and tolerance by President Mnangagwa. "The President is on record stating that all Zimbabweans should be vigilant and maintain the stable and peaceful environment that is being fostered under the Second Republic.

"We say no to violence, disunity and unrest and call on the police to speedily bring the perpetrators captured in the video to face the full wrath of the law," he said.