Zanu PF Sets Up Liberation War Zones
21/03/2010 15:23:00
Mwenezi, March 21, 2010 – The Zanu PF youth militia under the command of newly appointed politburo member, Kudakwashe Bhasikiti, has turned back the clock of time, setting up liberation war style ”liberated zones” in the whole of Mwenezi in a desperate attempt to totally eliminate the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) in the event of elections next year.
Information gleaned from the former ruling party functionaries in the area, recently showed that the overzealous Bhasikiti has of late been commandeering Zanu PF youths trained at the infamous Border Gezi Youth
Indoctrination centres, to create no go areas for the opposition in preparation of polls that might be held next year.
Zanu PF’s President Robert Mugabe and MDC’s Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, the key rivals in Zimbabwe’s seemingly unending political stand-off have recently been urging their supporters to prepare for fresh polls in the event that the Global Political Agreement (GPA) which gave rise to the unity government in the country fails. The two leaders, who met with President Jacob Zuma recently, agreed to a package of measures aimed at fully implementing the stalled GPA.
It emerged this week that Bhasikiti, who is also the House of Assembly representative for Mwenezi East, has already started to prepare for next elections in the district by setting up secretive torture camps in remote
conservancies that were forcibly grabbed from whites in Mwenezi.
Bhasikiti, who was this year rewarded for ensuring Zanu PF hegemony in Mwenezi with a deputy secretary for economic affairs post in the ex-ruling party’s Soviet style political bureau, in short, politburo, has been
reportedly running around to pay back his masters by creating no go areas for the opposition in secretive and remote conservancies that were expropriated from former white farmers.
”They have set up no go areas for the opposition in areas such as Maranda, Neshuro and Dinhe where they are eliminating all suspected MDC sympathisers. Members of the youth wing under the instructions of the local MP Bhasikiti are behind the project as they are moving around telling villagers to be wary of the enemy(MDC) ahead of elections next year, ”said an MDC supporter who preferred not to be named for fear of reprisals.
He added,” We are now afraid even to put on our MDC regalia because if the youths discover itans the end of us as they have set up torture camps and zones in this district where it is virtually not allowed according to them to be a supporter of the opposition.”
The MDC supporter added that the liberated zones were being controlled by war veterans who were terrorising villagers and teaching them Zanu PF propaganda to raise emotions in anticipation of elections that will be held
next year.
Contacted for comment Bhasikiti said: ”There is no such thing as liberated zones because Mwenezi is already a known Zanu PF stronghold, the opposition has no room and will never have it. What is wrong by frequently urging our people to be vigilant.”
MDC-T provincial secretary for Masvingo Tongai Matutu lashed out Zanu PF for trying to live in the past saying old tact’scs were not going to work in an area that was now ripe for change.
”Zimbabweans know what they want and that is a departure from Mugabe’s kleptocracy and that is not going to change whether they create so called liberated zones or not the truth of the matter is that the atmosphere is
pregnant for change and it is the MDC that will deliver that change no matter what,’ said Matutu.
Mwenezi is one of the poorest districts in Masvingo and most families in the area are dependent on South Africa where thousands of their children have sought refuge in search of jobs and occasionally remit funds back home to their families.
Meanwhile in Masvingo, the Zanu PF provincial executive has fired three of its councillors in Chivi including the Rural District Council (RDC) vice chairman Owen Mudzivo who are being accused of having a cordial relationship with Tsvangirai’s MDC leadership in their area.
Masvingo Provincial Chairman Lovemore Matuke refused to give light concerning the issue. However RadioVOP was reliably informed that there was drama in a Zanu PF dominated Chivi Rural District’s full Council meeting on Friday when other Zanu PF councillors booed and heckled at the fired councillors.
“Umnn. they were not fired as such but umnn..Who told you this issue,” said Matuke before he blamed poor network connection and switched off his mobile.
Owen Mudzivo (Ward 3) confirmed that the three were called to a disciplinary meeting for allegedly hanging with MDC-T officials. The issue came to light when Mudzivo and his other councillors for ward six and 15 attended Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai’s rallies in the area last week.
“I really do not know why we are being crucified. I heard that we are now dining with MDC-T officials but the only day I got closer to MDC-T is when I attended Prime Minister’s rally last week.
“We are yet to take our issue up because we think it was not fair to dismiss us from the party just because of that. Surprisingly, just because I was fired, the next day, I was demoted from the position of vice chairperson in the council,” said Mudzivo.
Councillor Cleopas Magwizi (Ward 8) who is also Zanu PF central committee member and national youth legal affairs chairman is accused of having masterminded the downfall of the three councillors.
Magwizi is a Zanu PF hardliner who has been for long reported of victimizing MDC-T supporters in Chivi.
However, Magwizi denied having a hand in the expulsion of anyone but was quick to say that no one in the party is immune to disciplinary action. “How can I report them, it was clear that they are willing to go to
MDC. There is no one immune to disciplinary action in the party.”
Senator for Chivi-Mwenezi and former governor for Masvingo who is also Zanu PF politburo member Josiah Hungwe accepted that the three were called for a disciplinary hearing but declined to give the outcome of the meeting.
“Yes they were called but for now I can’t say they were fired or not,” said Hungwe.