Ray Nkosi |Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa effectively set Zanu PF structures in Bikita-West on a war path when he warned that opposition supporters in the constituency will be dealt with in a ruthless manner.

Addressing party supporters at a rally held recently at Gwindingwi High School ahead of the Bikita West by-election, Mnangagwa instructed traditional leaders to compile lists of people who do not support the ruling party. By his action and statements the Vice President effectively set the ruling party supporters on a war path against the opposition the first casualties being, the National Constitutional Assembly (NCA) candidate, Madock Chivasa, and his election agent, Thomas Mudzamiri.

The Zimbabwe Human Rights Association (ZimRights) has condemned the physical assault on the two.

In a media statement issued on Wednesday evening, the human rights watchdog said that it was concerned at the continued electoral malpractices especially by ruling ZANU PF in the run up to almost all elections in the country.

“The calculated act of political violence by an organised hit squad wearing the ruling party ZANU PF regalia is a slap in the face of the constitutional requirement for free, fair and credible elections,” reads the statement from Zimrights.

Media and election observers on Tuesday reported that the assault was carried out by about 13 people wearing ZANU PF regalia around Nyika Growth Point at about 10 pm in the evening. The armed assailants were reportedly driving a Ford Everest vehicle allegedly belonging to Marondera legislator, Lawrence Katsiru. Chivasa confirmed the assault allegations to media in a brief interview on Wednesday claiming that he was assaulted and was also beaten with the back of a pistol by confirmed ZANU PF supporters.

“They hit me with the back of a pistol on the head and I fell down, breaking my arm. The assailants clearly asked me who I thought I was to oppose ZANU-PF,” he said. Chivasa told the media that they had reported the assault to police at Nyika growth point but the police would not attend to the case.

“We reported the matter at Nyika Growth Point last night, but there was a single police officer who said he could not handle political cases and only promised to inform his superior who was absent from the station,” he said. The assailants reportedly hit Chivasa on the forehead twice with the back of a pistol as he left a supermarket at around 10 pm in the evening, and he fell to the ground before they further lashed him and his election agent with sjamboks and other motley weapons.