Zimbabwe
MDC opposition dismayed by the threats against Tsvangirai

afrol.com, 7 October - In a press release by the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) it states that it continues to be disappointed and dismayed by the threats against itself, its membership, and its leadership by the ruling party, Zanu PF and its functionaries. The party has received information that the government intends to arrest MDC President Morgan Tsvangirai upon his return to Zimbabwe from a business trip abroad. 

According to the release, the MDC is aware of a high level presence of police officers at Harare Airport as of this night, awaiting Tsvangirai's return, presumably to effect the arrest that Zanu PF has directed. 

- The MDC's leadership hereby warns and cautions government against the plan to arrest MDC President Tsvangirai, the party communiqué goes on. "We condemn the intended arrest, as it is legally unjustified and politically unwise and dangerous, as it is likely to lead to unnecessary conflict within the country." 

It is ironic and illogical that Zanu PF officials are pushing for Tsvangirai's arrest on allegations that he committed treasonous acts by "inciting violence" at a rally at Rufaro Stadium on 30 September, when similar and much worse statements by almost the entirety of Zanu-PF leadership have gone by uncondemned and unpunished.

- Within Zanu PF ranks, those who have consistently incited violence, and yet nothing has been done about them, include President Robert Mugabe, Sydney Sekeramayi, Josiah Hungwe, Nathan Shamuyarira, Chenjerai Hunzvi, Border Gezi, and many others, the statement goes on. For example, when opening the Pungwe Dam Project, Robert Mugabe threatened those in the opposition with death, and on another occasion boasted of Zanu PF and his "degrees of violence."

In confirming Zanu PF's violent track record, Nathan Shamuyarira recently stated, "The area of violence is an area where Zanu PF has a very strong, long and successful history."

Not to be done, Zanu PF MP for Chikomba Chenjerai Hunzvi threatened that Zanu PF supporters would not wait for violence from the MDC before they attacked. "We are now going to be more vigilant than ever and we will hit before they hit us," he said.

Prior to the Parliamentary elections in June, Andrew Ndlovu boasted that he and his colleagues in the War Veterans Association have arms of war cached all over the country, which they intended to use to overthrow a constitutionally elected MDC government. 

The Movement for Democratic Change is dismayed by the continued threats of violence against it, the communiqué says. "The MDC is a peaceful party, committed to non-violent, democratic change. The government continues to threaten and to use violence against the MDC and other opposition voices, and has used force to constrain the political freedom of ordinary Zimbabweans. Lessons of history show that, no matter how tolerant a people may be, the time comes in any oppressive society when such people have taken as much as they can handle and react with spontaneous violence that no one can control. This is essentially what was intended to be conveyed by the statement made by MDC President Morgan Tsvangirai, which statement was unfortunately so worded as not to convey what was intended."

Sources: Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) and UK 

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