Soldiers Assault MDC-T Activists in Harare
Highfield legislator Eric Murai says six of the activists were seriously injured in the attack and a report has been made at Machipisa Police Station
HARARE — Some uniformed soldiers on Wednesday reportedly assaulted some activists of the Morgan Tsvangirai led Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) formation who were mobilizing supporters to attend the opposition leader's rally in the populous Highfield suburb this weekend. Highfield legislator, Eric Murai, told Studio 7 that the youths were putting up posters to advertise the opposition rally set to be addressed by the former prime minister in the Highfield suburb Saturday. Murai said six of the activists were injured in the attack, adding a report has lodged at Machipisa Police Station. Three of the youths - Shepherd Mbewe, Sean Chindori and Sharodd Matamba - were detained for over an hour at Zororo Center where soldiers are holding a training camp. The other seven managed to escape. Murai said the rally will go ahead on Saturday as planned despite the incident. Police spokesperson, Charity Charamba, said she wanted to get details from officers in Highfield before making a public statement. The MDC has for years now been pressing Harare to implement security sector reform reforms. But the ruling Zanu PF party insists there's no need to re-align the sector. Meanwhile, six MDC-T provincial members in Mashonaland West have been suspended for allegedly sympathizing with Elton Mangoma, the party deputy treasurer general, who is on suspension for calling for leadership renewal in the party ahead of the 2018 national elections. This follows also the suspension of some MDC-T activists in Chitungwiza, among them Alexio Musundire, for siding with the faction calling on Tsvangirai to step down. The differences apparently continue simmering despite Tsvangirai's statement to the media last week that all was well in the labour-backed party.