Opposition denies weapons claims

Zimbabwe’s opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) has expressed “utter shock” over allegations by Home Affairs Minister John Nkomo that the police uncovered illegal weapons caches at the party’s offices.

Nkomo told parliament on Tuesday that police searches of MDC offices and the homes of party officials in Harare last week had unearthed grenades, pistols, rifles and tear gas. Computer files were also accessed. The police operation was launched after a grenade was hurled at an MDC office on 11 September in an incident Nkomo described as “an inside job”. He said the resulting search by the police was “both lawful and in the interest of national security”.

A statement by the MDC said the police operation had been conducted in full view of local and international media, none of whom reported seeing weapons. Neither have charges yet been laid against MDC officials.

“Minister Nkomo’s statement therefore is a clear attempt by the government and the ruling party to maliciously and falsely concoct baseless allegations against the MDC with a view to discrediting it within the eyes of the public and also to take this as a pretext for cracking down on the MDC leadership,” read the statement.

MDC spokesman Learnmore Jongwe told IRIN the tactics were familiar to Zimbabweans. “It’s an intelligence initiative where they incriminate individuals with false charges. The same strategy had been used against opposition parties in the past,” he alleged.

Jongwe added: “As far as we’re concerned we are prepared for any eventuality. The cost for democratic change in this country will be very high and obviously somebody has to pay it, and if not us, then who else?”