The candidate, who is also MDC Manicaland provincial spokesman, Pishai Muchauraya, and his two colleagues Michael Murapwa and Tendai Chimonya were brutalized by war veterans and youth militia.
A Zanu (PF) goon squad, ferried by a tractor given to war veteran leaders Choga and Masukume under the farm mechanization scheme, accosted the three outside Lamour supermarket, a stone’s throw from Africa University in Old Mutare.
The Zimbabwean heard that the driver of the tractor blocked the way for Muchauraya’s truck, a Mazda B2500, and then the terror squad jumped on the three and beat them, leaving them gravely injured, with their MDC t-Shirts ripped to shreds.
It was a vicious and callous attack and I’m lucky I didn’t sustain serious injuries, Muchauraya said. But we suspect my driver Michael Murapa could have sustained a fractured hand, while my aide Tendai Chimonya was also injured in the attack.
Scores of opposition party officials and supporters have been harassed in the Mutare area in the wake of a crackdown that followed the launch of the MDC’s election manifesto in the city last Saturday.
The war veterans frisked Muchauraya’s vehicle and got away with a cellphone, over 1000 party cards, Z$1,4 billion in cash, party regalia including t-shirts and Muchauraya’s information pack, which contained the manifesto that was launched on Saturday.
Muchauraya alleged the gang was hired and alleged it could have been commandeered from a nearby farm owned by a senator. He is locking horns in the legislative polls with Zanu (PF)’s Shadreck Chipanga, a former top CIO boss.
Manicaland police were unavailable for comment.
Post published in: News