Stop accusing the innocent

Mangoma's legal team did not dispute that the video evidence showed persons different from those accused of assaulting Mangoma. What worried me most is that the police are alleged to have not shown interest in arresting the persons seen assaulting Mangoma on camera.

False accusations of MDC-T activists for violence are not new. Notable cases include those arrested for allegedly murdering war veteran Cain Nkala, and the arrest of Solomon Madzore, Last Maengahama, Rebecca Mafukeni and other for allegedly murdering a police officer in Glen View a few years ago. Both these incidents happened ahead of crucial elections.

Violence is evil, whether committed by Zanu (PF) activists, MDC-T activists, the army or even when it is committed by the police – the law enforcing agents. Those who murdered Cain Nkala and the Glen View police officer, and those who assaulted Elton Mangoma need to be brought to book.

Surely, under normal circumstances, the first people that must have been arrested are those seen assaulting Mangoma, but alas, other unfortunate souls are picked because their known loyalty to Morgan Tsvangirai.

It appears that opponents of the MDC-T are bent on accusing innocent people who support Morgan Tsvangirai whenever an act of violence involving the MDC-T occurs. In the case of Mangoma's attack, one cannot rule out that the whole event was stage managed in order to justify Biti and Mangoma's claim that the MDC-T is a violent party. Cameras were made ready to film the incident, and thank God, the cameras captured the assailants in action. But Mangoma does not accuse the people who are seen on his own video footage – he opts for those he knows are the most effective youths in the MDC-T.

It is justifiable under these circumstances to say that Mangoma's assailants are members of the Central Intelligence Organisation or Zanu (PF) activists or even the Renewal Team's own youths. The donors who have been persuaded to ditch Tsvangirai must be asking themselves what is really going on in the Renewal Team. Time will tell. – Kennedy Kaitano, Mutare