News / National
War Vets, Zanu-PF supporters exchange blows at rally
08 Jun 2015 at 08:40hrs | Views
A first fight reportedly broke out at a Zanu PF inter-district meeting in Chipinge on Saturday after a group of placard waving war veterans gate crashed and jeered politburo member Oppah Muchinguri, Manicaland Acting provincial chair Samuel Undenge and other senior party officials accusing them of being aligned to former VP Joice Mujuru's Gamatox Group.
Muchinguri and Undenge's supporters confronted the war veterans resulting in clashes.
Undenge confirmed the disturbances although he denied that violence broke out.
"It was a group of only 10 people at a meeting attended by close to a 1 000 people. These 10 people tried to disrupt the meeting, but they were told to leave," Undenge said.
"I didn't see any violence and it was a very good meeting. It's just the group of rabble-rousers who tried to disrupt us."
Since the expulsion of former Presidential Affairs minister Didymus Mutasa alongside Mujuru and several other party members on allegations of seeking to unconstitutionally topple President Robert Mugabe, Zanu PF structures in Manicaland have remained in turbulence.
During his tenure as Headlands MP, Mutasa was regarded as the provincial godfather.
Since his departure, rival factions aligned to Muchinguri and Provincial Affairs minister Mandi Chimene have clashed over control of the province.
Muchinguri and Undenge's supporters confronted the war veterans resulting in clashes.
Undenge confirmed the disturbances although he denied that violence broke out.
"It was a group of only 10 people at a meeting attended by close to a 1 000 people. These 10 people tried to disrupt the meeting, but they were told to leave," Undenge said.
Since the expulsion of former Presidential Affairs minister Didymus Mutasa alongside Mujuru and several other party members on allegations of seeking to unconstitutionally topple President Robert Mugabe, Zanu PF structures in Manicaland have remained in turbulence.
During his tenure as Headlands MP, Mutasa was regarded as the provincial godfather.
Since his departure, rival factions aligned to Muchinguri and Provincial Affairs minister Mandi Chimene have clashed over control of the province.
Source - newsday
