Charlton Hwende, the MDC-T national representative in Mashonaland West blasted Webster Shamu, the MP for the area for ‘fighting dirty’ and accusing him of sending thugs to intimidate his family.
Hwende has already declared his interests to unseat Shamu, the ZANU PF political commissar and politburo member from Chegutu East. The charismatic Hwende is one of the youthful rising stars in the Morgan Tsvangirai led MDC and has already held several rallies that have attracted the ire of Shamu.
He surprised many of his friends by shunning a safe seat in Chegutu central and decided to concentrate his efforts in a seat held by ZANU PF, more so by a fearsome MP, allegedly known for his gangsterism.
Hwende took to Facebook on Monday to accuse Shamu of unleashing a gang of ZANU PF members who ransacked his rural home at Muchechemera village, under the Chegutu East constituency.
“Today (Monday) at 2am in the morning six people in a Toyota Hilux suspected to be coming from voting in the weekend ZANU PF Mashonaland West Provincial chairman elections ransacked my rural home in Mhondoro, Chegutu East constituency forcing my 90 year-old grandmother and the wife of my worker to flee to Harare,”
“My appeal to Shamu the MP of the area is for him to ensure that such victimisation and harassment of my family is stopped immediately. We are not afraid but peace loving for now,” Hwende wrote on Facebook.
Last month, Hwende accused Shamu of instructing some ZANU PF youths to attack his young brother Livingstone, who was coming from an MDC rally in the district. Shamu has reportedly denied any involvement, charging that if Hwende wants a clean fight, “he will get it.”
“Because of Shamu’s fierce reputation of dealing ruthlessly with political opponents, I knew it was not going to be easy to challenge him. But look, this is politics and somebody has to throw in their hat to stand against him,”
‘”f you enter into a political ring, the aim is to win and this is exactly what I have set out to do. Shamu knows he has a big fight ahead and so he’s now resorting to dirty tactics to intimidate my family in the hope that I will not challenge him. Unfortunately for him that will not happen, he should expect this contest to go all the way to the finish line,” Hwende said.
– SW Radio Africa News
Post published in: News