By Farai D Hove| Questions have been raised whether MDC Vice President Thokozani Khupe was truly assaulted at the late Morgan Tsvangirai’s homestead, after MDC Youth leader, Happymore Chidziva indicated that they are still to see reliable evidence of violence.
Chidziva communicated the position early Thursday morning. His statement comes at par against that of Khupe. Khupe says: “they beat us with stones, umbrellas and any items they could lay their hands on. They called us dissidents saying we should go back to Matebeleland. It was me, Douglas Mwonzora, Abednico Bhebhe, Lwazi Sibanda, and several other people. One stone hit me on my back. I am in pain as I speak right now.
“One man asked us to go into his hut. Those thugs threatened to burn the hut but we were lucky that it was raining and so the thatch could not catch the fire. They threw a burning log into the hamlet. If it was not rain, we were going to die. But I went back to attend the funeral to make sure that he (Tsvangirai) was laid to rest.
“This happened in full view of the police. The police tried to stop them (youth) but they were too vicious. Everybody saw what happened. I don’t know what they will do to them. They (police) saw the criminals.
Mwonzora said he saw some youths from Chitungwiza. They beat me while I was walking before hiding inside a hut.”
She said the youth stopped intimidating them when one of them told them that “the commander in chief (Chamisa) had ordered them to stop what they were doing. They then stopped.”
Below was Chidziva’s statement:
“Morning Zimbabwe. Violence is not in our DNA even with Zanu pf. We have internal processes that we use if we have disagreements.
The youths I lead are not violent and will not command them to be. We are in charge so no need to be angry. If the investigation actually leads to say there was violence in Humanikwa, then we will do another round of trainings of cadreship because it just means we have more recruits because of the President Chamisa’s wave that has brought more that needs education. I promise Zimbabwe the assembly I lead will safeguard the movement from further splitting. And will guard against violence.”