Police hold 11 MDC youths after Chitungwiza clashes, Sikhala summoned

HARARE — Police on Saturday besieged the home of St. Mary’s lawmaker, Job Sikhala, and arrested several youths of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) led by Nelson Chamisa following clashes with Zanu PF activists in Chitungwiza.

The MDC said police arrested Stephen Sarkozy Chuma, the MDC national youth assembly spokesperson, while Sikhala, who is also MDC deputy national chairperson, was summoned to the police for no clear reason.

Police said 11 MDC activists had been arrested for participating in an unsanctioned demonstration and on public violence charges.

“The police went on an orgy of violence in St. Mary’s, breaking doors and barging into private homes in search of anyone suspected to be MDC. No reason was given for the siege and the state-sanctioned violence,” the MDC said in a statement.

The party said last week, Zanu PF distributed fliers mobilising its supporters to lay siege on the rural home of Chamisa in Gutu as well as the urban homes of his deputy Tendai Biti and Sikhala.

“The MDC regards the siege in St. Mary’s and the incessant harassment of party leaders as needless persecution. The regime is treating the MDC as a terrorist organisation when it is a legitimate political party represented in parliament and running the majority of local government councils,” the party added.

The MDC said no amount of intimidation will “cow the nation from sonorously expressing their displeasure at the illegitimate regime that has dismally failed to address the challenges facing the people.

“It is the people who are truly sovereign and terror tactics will not work. State-sanctioned violence will not stop any idea whose time has come.”

Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi said a Zupco bus had its front windscreen smashed by stone-throwing MDC youths and several vehicles had also been damaged.

“The Zimbabwe Republic Police condemns acts of violence by unruly youths who were obviously mobilised to engage in disturbances at Chigovanyika in St Mary’s, Huruyadzo Shops and Zengeza 2 Shops in Chitungwiza this morning (Saturday),” said Nyathi.