By Moregiven Sithole
The Movement for Democratic Change( MDC-T)has reacted angrily to the violence that took place at the party offices in Bulawayo on Sunday, describing the incident as most regrettable and extremely unfortunate adding that the act might have been facilitated by a “hidden hand.”
This follows the violent disruption by perceived MDC T “youths” of a meeting organised by party Vice President, Thokozani Khupe and other senior officials at the party’s provincial offices in Bulawayo.
Addressing journalists at a hastily arranged press conference in Highlands, Tsvangirai said his party had already started an internal investigation to find out the perpetrators so that they will face the full wrath of the law.
“The MDC is a social democratic party whose values include equality, solidarity and the respect of human rights. As such, I unreservedly condemn the violence that happened yesterday, the 6th of August 2017, in Bulawayo where a group of thugs violently disrupted a meeting at our Bulawayo Offices.
“As the President of the party, I condemn in the strongest terms this callous act of violence committed by these people,” Tsvangirai said.
The former Prime Minister in the Government of National Unity said some perpetrators of violence on weekend have been arrested by the police.
“I understand there are a few culprits who were apprehended by the police
and as the leader of the party, I regard this incident as a criminal act
and these thugs must face the full wrath of the law. I have since activated
our own internal investigations and appropriate disciplinary measures will
be taken against the perpetrators or anyone behind them,” he said.
Tsvangirai said the scuffle might have been engineered by the State with the intention of derailing the M D C Alliance which was launched on Saturday.
“We are investigating this incident with the intention of taking stern action against any of our members who may have been involved in this dastardly act. At the same time, we are not ruling out the invisible hand of the State as it had a huge motive to douse the successful script of the Alliance on Saturday,” he said.
He urged MDC supporters to remain focused and to stay away from unhealthy intra-party intolerance.
Thokozani Khupe and some senior MDC T officials have never harbored their distaste of an alliance of the opposition and they were conspicuous by their absence at the launch of the MDC Alliance though they are alleged to have given their apologies.
Tsvangirai reunited with Welshman Ncube and Tendai Biti who broke away from the mainstream MDC in 2005 and 2013 respectively.
