Below are brief responses by Sen Douglas Mwonzora which he made a day after Dr Thokozani Khupe’s bodyguard was assaulted. Two of Dr Khupe’s security aides were on Wednesday morning briefly blocked from entering the grouping’s meeting at Harvest (MRT) House, and the most senior, Kudzanai Mashumba, was violently knocked down by a certain Mwonzora aide, known as Bernard. This was as Mwonzora was hailed as party President and the attacker announced saying they were acting on his (Mwonzora’s) orders.

Senator Douglas Mwonzora (DM) spoke to ZimEye’s Simba Chikanza (SC).

SC: Hon Mwonzora, Dr Khupe’s aides Kudzanai Mashumba and George Rice complain saying your aides assaulted them at Harvest House before the press conference today, and barred them from entering Harvest House. Are you a violent man as they allege?

DM: I am not a violent man. I have not touched anyone have I? This is the problem I have with your kind of journalism Simba.

SC: Evening Hon Mwonzora. Thank you for the response, why are you not addressing the injured man, Dr Khupe’s bodyguard who has complained directly to you since the Harvest House incident yesterday?

As you can see I have battled reaching you for more than a day to date.

DM: We can talk tomorrow. But this issue is being dealt with by the security department of the party. I am not sure what exactly happened but I had absolutely nothing to do with it. We will get a report of what happened from our director of security.

DM: No he has not reached out to me. This matter is being dealt with by the department. I don’t think he is Dr Khupe’s bodyguard Simba.

SC: But he has been on your party forums complaining about this. Senator Morgen Komichi, Shakespear Mukoyi are among many witnesses to this. You tell me you’ve not seen him body-guarding Dr Thokozani Khupe for weeks to date, even as far back as in Buhera where you were all at?

DM: It is you who is telling me that there are witnesses. I don’t know that. What I know is that the department of security is dealing with this issue. I can’t preempt its findings.

I have not seen the report at all.

SC: You said he has rushed to the media. I present it to you that he has been to the party as early as mid day yesterday (Wednesday) soon after the incident had happened.

DM: That is not the impression I got.

SC: You being ascribed the title President Mwonzora, does that not worsen relations between you and Dr Khupe?

DM: I have not heard anybody calling me by that title.

SC: But that is how you were titled on Wednesday, and as narrated by Dr Khupe’s bodyguard, witnessed by Sen Morgen Komichi and Shakespear Mukoyi. Hearing such a title ascribed to you, how do you think your boss, Khupe feels? Does that not make your blood boil?

DM: I was not there when the incident you are talking about happened. For most of the day I was in a meeting of the Standing Committee where Sen Komichi sits as well. If Sen Komichi saw the incident then he will deal with it accordingly. I am not the President of MDC. I am the Secretary General.

DM: Simba my blood does not easily boil.