ZANU-PF shuts down Masvingo

Business came to a virtual standstill in Masvingo on Thursday afternoon after ZANU-PF supporters ordered the closure of the town to force residents to attend mayoral campaign rallies addressed by Vice-Presidents Simon Muzenda and Joseph Msika, the ‘Daily News’ reported. According to the report, war veterans drove around the southern town in trucks ordering businesses to shut down so workers could attend the meetings. People started streaming out of the town for their homes at around 4pm after ZANU-PF supporters threatened to beat up those defying the order. “It is irrational for a party to order the closure of all businesses when the economy of the country is ailing,” a businessman was quoted as saying after closing his shop. “We are in business and we need money. I was personally threatened with death for failing to heed the war veterans’ demands and I later succumbed to pressure and released all my workers.” Meanwhile, 18 supporters of the MDC appeared in court on Thursday on charges of public violence, the report said. Fourteen were granted and the other four were not because they had breached previous bail restrictions. No ZANU-PF member had been arrested or had appeared in court in connection with the political violence which had rocked the town for the past two weeks, the report said. On Wednesday Masvingo police ransacked MDC Masvingo Central MP Silas Mangono’s house before arresting 15 youths in Mucheke in a pre-dawn raid. That brought to 28 the number of MDC supporters who have been arrested since the mayoral campaign got into full swing last week. A senior police officer at Masvingo Central police station acknowledged some members of the police force were engaging in violent activities at night campaigning for ZANU-PF. “It has come to our attention that some members of the force, especially war veterans, are part of ZANU-PF campaign teams. We have launched investigations since members of the force are supposed to protect citizens irrespective of their political affiliation,” the officer was quoted as saying. According to the report, when war veteran leader Chenjerai Hunzvi was contacted for comment, he said: “You are a dog. That is rubbish. You are stupid. You people at the ‘Daily News’ are dogs.”