Pro-senate MDC protests extension of inquiry deadline

ant the extension because “justice delayed is justice denied.”
But commission officials said there was no way to finish their work on time, because of lengthy delays in getting access to court documents and other evidence. The commission announced on Friday that it was seeking an extension of its deadline to complete the investigation until at least end of August.
The commission, chaired by Advocate Happias Zhou, was set up following the gruesome assault on Stevenson and other members of the Mutambara faction of the MDC on July 4 in Mabvuku.
The victims fingered the Tsvangirai-led MDC for masterminding the attack, a allegation that the group rejects.
“We have told our principals that we need to do the best possible job,” said the panel’s chairman, Zhou, a respected advocate, in announcing the decision to seek an extension. “Much work remains, and some hard work in finalizing our report.”
He said the panel was “mindful of the politics” of an extension, “but if we do not have the extra time, we would not have as many hearings as we would like.” The commission said it had so far interviewed the victims and those that have been accused of the assault, including Mabvuku MDC Member of Parliament, Timothy Mabhawu.
MDC Secretary general Tendai Biti, said that, once completed, the report would go to the MDC national executive and be made public. – Own correspondent