MDC wants Sibanda arrested

Sibanda has over the past few months crisscrossed the country forcing villagers to attend meetings where he threatened them with death should they fail to support Zanu (PF) in the constitutional referendum and general elections expected next year.

That the police have watched Sibanda get away with such a programme of intimidation and disruption beggars belief. The MDC calls on the inclusive government, Police Commissioner General Augustine Chihuri and his machinery to act on Sibanda as a matter of urgency, the MDC-T said.

The former opposition party said Sibandas campaign and police inaction in the face of obvious breaches of the law by the ex-combatant suggested that he has the backing of Zanu (PF).

Mugabes party has retained firm control of the police as with other security forces despite formation of a coalition government and appointment of two home affairs ministers from Zanu (PF) and MDC-T to jointly manage the law enforcement agency.

Zanu (PF) should come out clean and denounce him if it is not involved with Sibandas machinations. Their silence means he is their functionary on a mission to prop up their electoral fortunes, the MDC-T said.

Sibanda has been to Mashonaland Central and Manicaland provinces where he has forced villagers to attend meetings. He has been camped in Masvingo over the past month and last week disrupted learning at a school there after he ordered pupils and teachers to abandon classes to attend a meeting.

According to the MDC-T, the war veteran last Wednesday ordered teachers and pupils at Nhema Primary School to leave class to attend his meeting.

He also forced villagers in Zaka to attend a meeting at Fuve rural business centre where he threatened hundreds of villagers with violence if they stayed away from his meetings in the area, the MDC said.

Both Sibanda and Zanu (PF) spokesman Rugare Gumbo could not be reached for comment on the matter.