The Zimbabwean has seen a copy of a receipt given to the MDC Mashonaland East Youth leadership by a man only identified as Mutonhori, working in the Marondera municipality as a plumber, but who is also a senior ruling party official. The receipt, for $20 million, was issued after Mutonhori and other Zanu (PF) supporters invaded a meeting held at an open space normally used by Mapostori for their services and prayers.
MDC Mashonaland East Provincial Youth Chairman, Samuel Kamundarirai said: “They said that we had to pay for the venue, an open space, and the required amount was $20 million. It was a way of barring us from holding the meeting. We didn’t pay the money but took the receipt after promising that we would get back to them.”
Efforts to obtain comment from the Marondera council were in vain, but there is no law that allows councils to charge fees for meetings held in open space. MDC spokesman, Nelson Chamisa said this was typical of Zanu (PF) ahead of elections as it “tries to use all sorts of tricks to suppress the opposition as well as rig the elections”. – Itai Dzamara