The preliminary hearing was chaired by the National Organizing secretary Nelson Chamisa.
Three top district executive officials, Johannes Razunguza (Organizer), Tonderai Chitaguda (Vice Organizer) and Nyahanana (Vice Secretary District Main Wing), were acquitted. The hearing found that they had been falsely implicated by jealous provincial and district colleagues. Twenty four others are yet to be ‘tried’ at the next hearing scheduled for this week. Marondera Town Mayor, Farai Nyandoro, is expected to appear, accused of sponsoring the violence which left some provincial members nursing bruises.
“The fact that the Mashonaland East Party Province led by Mbare Member of Parliament, Pinnel Denga, was in bad books with district members who did not support their preferred choice of top party candidates at the last party national congress is no secret. This is a power struggle, plain and simple,” said a senior official on condition of anonymity.
“Despite having been absent at the Two Boy Rally when the provoked violence broke out, Chitaguda was fingered as the strategist who directed operations from a distance. He was earlier denied entrance to the hearing by the Denga camp, in a bid to facilitate his conviction in absentia. Razunguza was also acquitted as it was cited that his role at the fiasco was only to rescue Denga from the jaws of his attackers, as he lay unconscious on the ground under a barrage of blows from the assailants,” said another source who attended the hearing.
A Marondera East party delegate told the hearing: “Zanu (PF) vowed to infiltrate and destroy MDC-T from Mashonaland East Province since it was the weakest link in the popular people’s democratic project.” He also said the Two Boy violence erupted after some party youths were ‘provoked’ and turned into a free-for-all fight.
Marondera East party chairperson, Samuel Machekanyanga, who hosted the ill fated Two Boy rally, helped to exonerate the acquitted trio and Nyandoro. “Most of the accused were innocent victims of intra-party clash of personalities. They did not participate in the fiasco. When the fight broke out, Nyandoro, Chitaguda and others were far away from the scene. The hatred emanating from the clash of interests should be eliminated from the party once and for all, as it would prove a stumbling block on our way to a new Zimbabwe.” He said the clash of personalities was at the centre of party squabbles and must be addressed before it tore the party apart.
Post published in: News