Chamisa, Mwonzora activists in bloody fight

CCC and MDC-A activists clashed in Chinhoyi yesterday afternoon over who would control a party office in the town, with the physical confrontation resulting in several of them getting injured.

The bloody fight occurred at the opposition party office in the low density suburb of Mzari where the CCC group is said to have tried to deny access to the MDC-A. Both parties claim the office premises and the matter is before the courts.

Some of the youths and women captured on camera by The Herald could be seen throwing stones at each other, while another mob believed to be MDC-A activists destroyed the gate to gain entrance. The office windows were smashed during the fight. Senior MDC-A member Mr Willian Nyambe said the violent clashes ensued after CCC members tried to barricade the office where the MDC-A intended to hold a meeting. Efforts to get comments from CCC national spokesperson Ms Fadzayi Mahere and her deputy Mr Gift Ostallos Siziva were futile yesterday.

Mr Siziva was yesterday evening still to respond to WhatsApp messages he had requested from The Herald and it was unclear if a police report had been filed by either of the opposing groups. Last year, the warring opposition parties were also entangled in a similar fight which spilt into the courts and MDC-A leader Senator Douglas Mwonzora accused a clique of the CCC in Chinhoyi of attempted murder, but they were exonerated by the courts. President Mnangagwa, who is expected to proclaim dates for this year's harmonised elections soon, is on record calling for a peaceful environment before, during and after polls, as have many church leaders and other neutrals.