Opposition lawmaker attacked at home by soldiers

Opposition Member of Parliament Job Sikhala said 50 Zimbabwean soldiers arrived at his home on Monday and beat him and his family with chains after trying to question him about next year’s presidential campaign, AFP reported. He said that three armoured cars drove over the fence around his home in the early hours of the morning.

The soldiers broke down the doors and said they had orders to kill him if he did not answer their questions, the MP said. “We have orders to extract this information from you, or kill you,” Sikhala said, recalling the soldiers’ words. The soldiers are reported to have asked him about the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) leader Morgan Tsvangirai’s presidential strategies, and asked if the MDC had sent youths to Finland to receive military training, Sikhala said.

Police had accused Sikhala of inciting violence during the 13-14 January parliamentary by-election in the remote district of Bikita West, but his case was remanded until 28 March.

The MDC became Zimbabwe’s first significant opposition party in June, when it won nearly half the contested seats in legislative elections. The elections were marred by widespread political violence in which at least 34 people died and thousands more beaten.