By Own Correspondent| The Gweru Commission of Inquiry hearings into the August 1 Harare violence were held on Saturday.

The state broadcaster, ZBC reported that major submissions by witnesses suggested that the opposition MDC Alliance leadership incited the nationwide riots whose effects were tragic.

Said the ZBC:

“The MDC Alliance has been accused of mobilising and whipping citizens’ emotions to organised protests resulting in the loss of six lives in the capital.

It was a full house in Gweru as people from across the Midlands Province gathered at the venue set for the Commission of Inquiry probing the 1 August post-election violence.

In his opening remarks, the commission’s chairperson and former South African president Kgalema Motlanthe indicated that while the riot and consequent deaths occurred in Harare it was of paramount importance if not pivotal for the commission to have a nationwide reflection into this matter and hence the Gweru public hearing.”

Said Chairperson of the 7 member team, former South African president Motlanthe:

“Though the events occurred in Harare, as a commission we felt it was necessary to come to Gweru to get the reading of the circumstances that led to the events of that day of the events from the Gweru community.”-StateMedia