MDC-USA condemns the gruesome murder of Christopher Simbarashe Maisiri

The MDC-T in the United States has said the gruesome murder of Christpowers Simbarashe Maisiri - the 12-year-old son of an MDC-T activist - by ZANU (PF) demonstrates that Zanu (PF) has not changed and justifies the frequently-made calls for international monitors and for proactive action by the SADC Facilitator, President Jacob Zuma. Below a s statement from the MDC-T USA Secretary, Andrew Chaponda.

The gruesome murder of Christpowers Simbarashe Maisiri - the 12-year-old sone of an MDC-T activist - by ZANU (PF) sponsored messengers of death on Saturday in Headlands is an anachronistic throwback to the primitive politics that have come to define the character and content of Zanu (PF).

The Zanu (PF) of today is a far cry from the one led by such luminaries as Leopold Takawira, Herbert Chitepo, Josiah Tongogara, and other real nationalists who must be turning in their graves at how the Zanu (PF) of Robert Mugabe, Jabulani Sibanda, Augustine Chihuri and other lawless murderers has sunk.

Seeing the charred remains of little Christpowers should cause enough revulsion and soul searching on the part of those in Zanu PF who preach peace during the day and murder of fellow citizens, when among themselves.

There is no way this kind of political impunity could be allowed to continue without encouragement and support from the highest echelons of Zanu (PF). It does not take much to put an end to this senseless destruction of human life, were the Zanu (PF) leadership really for peaceful co-existence in the competition for political power.

The Zanu (PF) leadership merely pays lip service to non-violence but they are the purveyors of anarchy and murder as this latest incident clearly shows. Christpowers died in the most horrific manner and those responsible should be brought to justice and soon.

It appears Zanu (PF) has perfected the very cruel method of doing away with its political opponents by setting their houses on fire, as if they were the real devil incarnate. Zimbabweans and the rest of the international community will not stand-by while our young ones are torched to death simply because their parents are leaders in the MDC-T.

As MDC-USA we condemn in the strongest terms possible this barbaric behavior and all other forms of political coercion daily visited on innocent Zimbabweans at the hands of Zanu(PF) dogs of war. Our own Chairman of MDC-USA, Mr. Den Moyo, said: "As a father of four beautiful girls, and a leader in MDC-T, I am deeply nauseated that an innocent child of a colleague had to endure so much suffering for the political beliefs of his father.

"Chrispowers' death should not be just another statistic to be added to Zanu PF's laundry list of atrocities. Instead his death should be a rallying call to all Zimbabweans to stand up and defy the proponents of violence.

"We should never be complacent that Zanu PF has met its Damascus moment and is now an advocate of peace. Robert Mugabe preaches peace by day, and sends out his dogs of war to maim, kill and incinerate opponents by night, as if it was something to be proud about," he said.

As MDC –USA we call upon the United Nations to send blue berets into Zimbabwe now as the election fever climaxes, to ensure a peaceful run to the elections. It should now be obvious to South African President and facilitator Jacob Zuma and SADC that there can never be peaceful elections in Zimbabwe under such conditions.

The question is what do they intend to do about it? We need President Jacob Zuma to publicly declare SADC's intentions at stopping the ugly violence. Our people need assurance that the x's they put on the ballot papers in the upcoming plebiscite will not be votes for mass massacres.

Recent statements by Zanu PF Vice President Joyce Mujuru that no international monitors will be welcome in Zimbabwe should be seen in the context of this latest murder; that Zanu PF does not want the outside world to see its record of atrocities.

It is only a party with a history of killing its political opponents and has something to hide and we know that which they want to hide, a full throttle onslaught to maim, kill, rape and disfigure and inflict as much pain and suffering to its political opponents as possible.

The records is there to show that as long as Zanu PF is a player, it will try and cling to power through murder, forget how much innocent blood they have spilled, children they have orphaned and suffering they have inflicted. This is not an isolated incident but a pattern of behavior by this once revered liberation party now morphed into a cruel murderous killing machine.

We also condemn the banning of shortwave radio receivers by the police. We view this as an onslaught on free media and access to information necessary for an informed electorate. We want guarantees from SADC that the outstanding GPA reforms which include media, electoral and security sector realignment are implemented before the elections.

We also call upon international and regional monitors to be deployed to Zimbabwe right now to prevent further bloodshed. Unfortunately we already know how this cock crows, and it is not about to change its natural instincts, to kill its way back onto the political perch.

Enough.