Soldiers assault MDC-T youths

Ten MDC-T youths who were putting up rally posters in Highfield West, Harare were on Tuesday morning seriously assaulted by a group of armed soldiers who are holding a training camp at Zororo centre.

Three of the youths; Shepherd Mbewe, Sean Chindori and Sharodd Matamba were detained for over an hour at the centre where over 30 soldiers have been training for the past one week. The other seven managed to escape.

The MDC-T youths were putting up rally posters for a sanctioned MDC-T rally to be held on Saturday at Highfield West bus terminus.

The three were badly assaulted by the soldiers and have since made a report at Machipisa Police Station where a docket has been opened.

The councillor for Ward 26, Highfield West, Clr Special Zuze has approached, James Chiyangwa, the Deputy Director for Housing, for the City of Harare seeking clarification over why the Zororo centre, which also houses a pre-school has been turned into a training base for heavily armed soldiers.

The officers at Machipisa confirmed with the Southerton police that the MDC-T had filed a police notification and had been allowed to paste their posters as well as hold a peaceful rally in the area. The rally is set for Saturday at Western Triangle Bus Terminus.

The councillor castigated the action by the soldiers saying they are needlessly assaulting the public at a time when the nation should unite against the scourges that continue to eat into the economy of the nation such as corruption.

"What the soldiers have done does not reflect a defence force with integrity or a force that wants to protect the people at all. It shows a defence force that lacks discipline and this has to end now. We cannot be afraid to do programmes in a free nation just because of some unscrupulous members of the defence force with such a petty mentality. It is sad," he said.