The offices located in Gweru’s seventh street went up on fire on the night of December 27 last year under unclear circumstances. ZANU (PF) spokesperson Rugare Gumbo subsequently issued a statement saying the MDC-T was behind the incident.
Last week police arrested three MDC-T activists-Douglas Tsuro (28) Sailas Mutendeudzwa (41) and Wonder Marange (40) in connection with the incident. The three were charged for malicious damage to property.
It is the first time since independence in 1980 that the building has been associated with such an incident.
Local lawyer Reginald Chidawanyika who is representing the activists said police had released them from custody after one day on basis the case would proceed by way of summons. It is understood the police failed to get incriminating evidence against the three during rigorous interrogations conducted by the agents from the Central Intelligence Organisation and Central Investigations Department.
Sources who spoke to The Zimbabwean said it was not possible for anyone let alone MDC-T activists to bomb the offices.
“The ZANU (PF) offices which are said to have been bombed are heavily secured. They are on the ground floor where on top floors are provincial headquarters of the provincial CIO and CID departments. These are manned 24 hours. They could not have missed the culprits,” a state security source said.
Another internal state security source added:
“The explosion was from inside. What therefore it means is that whoever was behind the bombing should have first planted the bomb inside the ZANU (PF) office.
“Besides the place being heavily guarded, there are no chances an MDC-T supporter would go that far more so on a territory of the leadership of state security officials who are obviously dreaded by members of the public.”
Other sources indicated that there is no trace of the type of bomb that could have been used if ever it was making the issue even more complex.
Suspicion is also high that the explosion could have been triggered by dynamite left in the office by one of the ZANU (PF) officials involved in mining.
“The most obvious explosive that can be used by an ordinary citizen is a petrol bomb. However, there is no such a lead. Even the police have said so,” said the source.
The MDC-T has said the incident was simply an inside job by ZANU (PF).
In an interview, Midlands South MDC-T spokesperson Jameson Tsuro told The Zimbabwean that the arrests of the MDC-T supporters were simply a way of victimising them for their political allegiance.
“The arrests are very unfortunate. They are again examples of how enthusiastic ZANU (PF) is in violating the rule of law,” he said, adding:
“ZANU (PF) knows who among their structures is behind the bombing of those offices. The arrests are just meant to frustrate and weaken our party.”
Tsuro added that there was no logic in police arresting people in connection with the incident simply because they support MDC-T.
Post published in: News