The latest political murders were reported as a group of about 300 members of the MDC sought refuge at the United States (US) embassy in Harare.
The MDC said in statement that an activist, Francis Phiri, from the mining town of Mashava was beaten to death, while Daniel Ngundo, who was secretary for the opposition party for ward 19 in Gokwe rural district, was also murdered by suspected ruling ZANU PF party militia.
The deaths bring to 12 the number of MDC supporters killed in political violence since the controversial June 27 presidential election run-off won by President Robert Mugabe.
The opposition party said the whereabouts of its Member of Parliament (MP) for Buhera South constituency, Naison Nemadziwa, remained unknown after he was abducted from the eastern Mutare city by a group of armed men who wearing Zimbabwe National Army uniforms.
As the MP was coming out of the court (Mutare magistrate’s court) at around midday, five armed men forced him into a parked Toyota twin cab truck that had no number plates and drove off at high speed. One of the abductors was identified as ZNA colonel Morgan Mzilikazi, the MDC said.
The party reported the abduction to police in Mutare but was told that Nemadziwa had been taken to Muzokomba police station more than 100km south of the city. However MDC officials who visited Muzokomba were told that the parliamentarian was not detained at the police station.
The MDC says overall, at least 90 of its members have been killed and more than 25 000 displaced by political violence since the combined presidential and parliamentary elections in March that were won by the opposition party.
Political violence has persisted even after Mugabe’s re-election last week in a run-off vote in which he was the only candidate after MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai pulled out saying the violent attacks against his supporters made a free and fair vote impossible.
US embassy official Paul Engelstad said the mission would try to assist the MDC members that gathered in front of the embassy building seeking refuge from violence.
These nearly 300 people who are gathered in front of the embassy seeking refuge from violence are part of the more than 30 000 that have been displaced (by violence), Engelstad said. We will use all available resources at our disposal to take care of them.
There were also riot police at the US embassy keeping an eye on the MDC supporters.
A group of about 300 MDC members who sought refuge at the South African embassy in Harare last week were eventually removed by the police and taken to a holding centre at Ruwa, just outside Harare.
The removals took place in the presence of Zimbabwe social welfare director Sydney Mhishi, South African ambassador Mlungisi Makhalima and United Nations (UN) country representative Agostinho Zacarias.
Tsvangirai on Wednesday rejected calls by African leaders for negotiations with Mugabe to form a government of national unity saying the Zimbabwean leader should first free jailed MDC members, end political violence and disband torture camps set up by ZANU PF militia before talks could take place. – ZimOnline
Post published in: News