MDC-T Treasurer and wife severely assaulted by ZANU PF

John Kinnaird after his beating by ZANU PF youths

By Tererai Karimakwenda
01 November 2012

A group of four ZANU PF thugs broke into the home of an MDC-T official in Kadoma Wednesday night, brutally assaulting him and his wife before taking their money and escaping.

But there is fear that the attack was political and not criminal, because the thugs wore ZANU PF bandanas and left valuable laptops and other goods in the house.

The assault was on John and Jackie Kinnaird from Kadoma. He is the MDC-T Midlands North Treasurer.

Kerry Kay, an activist and member of the MDC-T executive, said one of the youths was armed with a metal rod that looked like a car spanner used to remove bolts from a car tyres. One of the youths continuously hit John over the head.

Another youth took Jackie into the bedroom, where she violently tried to break free. Her arm was broken as a result.

Kerry said John had an x-ray and scans of his head taken. Fortunately he did not suffer any internal injuries and was treated and sent home.

But Jackie is still at the hospital, where she is scheduled to have an operation on her arm on Friday. Kerry said she has a compound fracture and the bone was sticking out of her arm.

Kerry blasted the MDC-T for not doing enough to stem the tide of violence already grips Zimbabwe ahead of elections. She said the party is not being strong enough in responding to political violence from ZANU PF thugs.

“There is no rule of law in the country and when there is no rule of law, nothing functions. We’ve got 31 people sitting in jail for the murder of a policeman. All the evidence given in court so far exonerates them 100 per cent. Yet they are still in jail 18 months later. They are prisoners of conscience, not criminals,” Kerry fumed.

The activist warned that whenever Robert Mugabe speaks publicly of peace and non violence, the country can expect violence to flare up and intensify soon after that.

“To be perfectly honest, when the president talks no peace and non violence, I’ve seen this since 2000 at the referendum when he said we will respect all people, and two weeks later people were beaten up. My husband was beaten and left for dead. It’s the same modus operandi. It is a smokescreen,” Kerry said.

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