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Paul Nyathi|MDC president Nelson Chamisa has expressed shock at what he describes as “tone of hate and anger” in Presidential Spokesperson George Charamba’s statement flighted in the state owned Herald on Tuesday.

Charamba was quoted in the media vilifying Chamisa regarding his preconditions to appear before the Commission of Inquiry into the August 1 killings.

“Comments by government & Mr Mnangagwa’s spokesperson in yesterday’s herald are so strange. He strangely suggests that the Aug 1 inquiry’s sole purpose is to fix MDC, its leadership.The tone of hate and anger is baffling.I have no blood in my hands.Peace defines my life,” said Chamisa in his Twitter page.

This followed Chamisa’s insistence that he would only appear before the Kgalema Motlanthe led Commission on condition that President Mnangagwa and his deputies were also subpoenaed to testify.

Chamisa has since climbed down from that position, and is set to testify later today. MDC deputy chairperson Tendai Biti will also testify, along with other MDC members Shadreck Mashayamombe and others.

Despite widely published photographs and video footage showing the Zimbabwean army soldiers firing on people in Harare’s streets, senior military commanders last week flatly denied before the Commission that their men were responsible for the shooting of six people in Harare choosing instead to put the blame on Chamisa.