The case has exposed factionalism in Zanu (PF). Joyce Manatsve, a provincial coordinating committee member, gave testimony in the case in which the Simba Mutukwa and Honesty Diura are accused of public violence at a meeting held in January at the provincial conference centre here.
They denied entry to the complainant, Joseph Zifungo, who stood for Zanu (PF) in the Mkoba constituency on the basis that he did not belong to their camp and beat him viciously.
“The youths said that they would not be arrested by anyone because they had blessings from the Minister of Justice to beat up everyone who wanted to challenge people from his camp in the provincial party elections. They also shouted that if police arrested them, they would not go to court and any magistrate wishing to preside over the case would do so at their homes because their boss is Minister of Justice,” said Manatsve.
The meeting at which the violence took place resulted in the entire provincial committee that was “elected” being disbanded by the politburo after it emerged that people aligned to Mnangagwa had un-procedurally been placed in positions for which they were not fit.
The youths deny the charges and the case continues next Monday.
Post published in: News