The Zimbabwe Republic Police and ZANU PF officials in Mudzi North, Mashonaland East, have been blamed for the violence that killed 67 year old Cephas Magura, the MDC-T ward 1 Mudzi North chairperson.
A ZANU PF mob attacked MDC-T activists at a rally that had been sanctioned by the police a week earlier. ZANU PF had not been cleared to gather for any event, yet they gathered near the venue and started chanting slogans before approaching the MDC-T group.
In a statement on Thursday, the United States embassy added their voice in condemning the ZANU PF thugs who disrupted the rally and assaulted party activists with logs, sticks and stones. The statement also condemned the police, who reportedly ignored pleas to call for re-enforcements.
“We are deeply concerned by reports that the Zimbabwe Republic Police on the scene refused to uphold the law or to protect the public by failing to stop ZANU PF supporters from violently attacking lawfully-assembled MDC-T supporters,” the US statement said.
The ZANU PF councillor for Ward 1Mudzi North, David Chimukoko is said to have threatened the police and the MDC-T, warning them there would be trouble if they went ahead with the rally.
“At the same time, the United States applauds those patriots within the Zimbabwe Republic Police who later arrested several individuals implicated in this violence” the US embassy said.
On Thursday Tabitha Khumalo, the MDC-T Deputy National Spokesperson and MP for Bulawayo East, challenged Robert Mugabe to order the arrest of all the perpetrators. Khumalo said she had no words to express her anger over the death of Magura, and Mugabe must “walk the talk” and ensure the arrests.
Meanwhile the results of a post mortem done on Magura were revealed Thursday and they showed he was indeed stoned to death. This is contrary to earlier denials by Mudzi West MP, Aquilinah Katsande, who had insisted Magura died after falling from a truck. – SW radio Africa News
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