Gift, who is a brother to MDC-T Member of Parliament for Murewa West, Ward Nezi, received a thorough hiding when he visited his favourite beer drinking place, the Cold Storage Commission (CSC) social club last week. One of the youth who took part in the beating was identified as Taurai Sauti. Sauti accompanied by others, approached the unsuspecting Gift and asked him about the significance of including gay rights in the constitution.
The youths asked me if the gay rights issue was worth including in the new constitution. I told them if the constitution was to be people driven, wishes of all social groupings including gays, had to be taken care of by supreme laws of the land. This provoked Sauti, who slapped me in the face. His colleagues joined in the free for all fight. They shouted I was an advocate for gay rights, like any other MDC activist including my brother, Ward, MDC-T MP for Murewa West.
When other patrons temporarily restrained the youth from assaulting me, I told the thugs that they were tarnishing Zanu (PF)s image and they had turned into a liability for the party. This further incensed them and they hit me with chairs. The beatings were savage and lasted for some time. Brave patrons restrained the youth who could have killed me. I overheard Sauti shouting that Ward Nezi had influenced residents of Marondera, to become MDC at the expense of Zanu (PF), said Gift who was visibly in pain.
Gift who said he was politically neutral, was accompanied to make a police report at district police headquarters by Town Mayor, Farai Nyandoro, MDC-T councillors for wards 7 and 8, Dominic Matangira and Carlos Mudzongwa, party activists, Richman Kanonge and Charles Ngwena. MDC activists, complained about partisan handling of assault cases involving Zanu (PF) and MDC. They indicated that Zanu (PF) thugs like Sauti, were immune from prosecution while victimised MDC activists were at the receiving end of the law.
Recently, Mudzongwa and four other MDC activists were arrested on trumped up assault charges. They were detained for five days before appearing in court. They were later detained for another three days at remand prison, before being released on $50 bail each. Their bail conditions include reporting at the Police Law and Order Section, every Friday until their case is finalized.
While at remand prison, Mudzongwa, a Rastafarian who spotted hair dreadlocks, was forced to shave his head by Prison Member in Charge, Muchademba. Activists, Fred Munemo and Admire Takawira, were remanded among dangerous criminals in D class. The District Police Officer, Mutasa, promised to swiftly deal with the Sauti assault case without fear or favour. He called on political parties not to politicize common criminal assault cases, as the police will find it difficult to investigate and arrest culprits. At the time of writing, Sauti and his colleagues who took part in beating Gift, had not yet been arrested.
Post published in: News