The ultimatum was issued by Zanu (PF) Manicaland provincial women’s league chairperson, Jane Knight, during a Zanu (PF) meeting held at Mutsamvu business centre last week. Knight, who is aspiring to be the Member of Parliament for Chimanimani East and has already launched a crude campaign against the incumbent Zanu (PF) Member of Parliament, Samuel Undenge, is reported to have ordered all MDC supporters in the area to hand over their party membership cards and party regalia to Zanu (PF) officials and war veterans in the area before the 30th of this month.
“Mai Knight came here last week and called a meeting at Mutsamvu where she ordered all MDC’s supporters in the area to surrender themselves to either Kumbirai Mushango , the local Zanu (PF) district chairperson or Enock Musati, a local war veteran. Some of the Zanu (PF) district officials which the MDC supporters are required to surrender to are William Dabuka and Mushango’s father, Joseph,” said one of the MDC supporters in the area. The threats are being taken seriously by MDC supporters.
“We are taking these threats very seriously because Knight and one army colonel Known as Charles Muresherwa were on the forefront of a terror campaign which left scores of MDC’s supporters here homeless and injured during the run up to the 2008 harmonized elections,” said another party supporter who refused to be named for fear of victimization.
The party supporter said during the meeting Knight stressed that after the expiry of the deadline, Zanu (PF) would enlist the services of The Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) and the army to “deal” with those people who failed to comply with order. He said following Knight’s directive Kumbirai Mushango last week allegedly took two chickens from a well known MDC activist in the area for refusing to surrender his MDC T-shirts to him.
The MDC’s coordinator for Chimanimani district, Pardon Maguta, confirmed receiving reports of Knight’s threats by party members in the area. When reached for a comment on her mobile phone, Knight refused to give a comment.
Post published in: News