OPPOSITION Zapu has accused Zanu PF senior politicians Patrick Chinamasa and Victor Matemadanda of fanning political violence through threats on anti-government protesters July 31.
This follows two media briefings held on different times by the two politicians condemning national protests planned by the opposition and its allies against unchecked high-level corruption in the country.
Matemadanda, who is party commissar, rubbished the planned protests saying they were being sponsored by the enemy to spread coronavirus through teargas canisters specially made to gush the virus.
Addressing the media soon after emerging from a party politburo meeting last week, Chinamasa threatened to unleash Zanu PF supporters to counter the planned opposition street protests.
Chinamasa, who is also party acting spokesperson, accused MDC Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa of planning the demonstrations.
He dared the popular youth leader to lead the protests himself and be taught a lesson.
But in a hard-hitting statement weekend, Zapu’s presidential spokesperson, Mkhululi Zulu condemned the two politicians for apparent intolerance.
“Zimbabweans are stunned by the venomous threats of violence vomited through the press by the two high ranking Zanu PF leaders Chinamasa and Matemadanda against organisers of a yet to happen demonstration by the opposition.
“What baffles the mind is that these men seem to try so hard to even control the thinking and feelings of Zimbabweans.
“So far, there is only some talk of a need to demonstrate against corruption and already there are guns blazing everywhere,” said Zulu.
He described Matemadanda as a bankrupt politician suffering from “an absolute political emptiness talking of being a war veteran”.
“Many in his own party have publicly said he was just a taxi man in Zambia during the struggle.
“He was never what the masses saw here, the real ‘vanamukoma, obhudi” against the Rhodesians. People who now have no political relevance are always fast to dash to the past.
“When it comes to the current socio-economic realities, these bankrupt political personalities like Matemadanda fall into some deep political quandary. Hence they resort to primitive and babyish insult against individuals,” said Zulu in reference to Matemadanda‘s last week’s vicious attack on Chamisa.
Turning to Chinamasa, Zulu said the former finance minister was now behaving like an insane person.
“Chinamasa, despite his age and his legal exposure, utters what no sane lawyer can ever say. There is a lot of suffering that Chinamasa`s (cadres) would do well to confront in solving the financial issues.
“The Zimbabwe dollar tumbles as if there is a war. If Chinamasa had any sense of shame, he would divert his energy in mobilising the party cadres to deal with that as their children are also disgraceful economic refugees in other countries like Namibia, Botswana and South Africa,” Zulu said.
The Zapu official stressed that the proposed march was to protest lies, state sponsored looting of national resources to benefit those who are now abusing all the systems of government including the legislature, the judiciary, and the executive.
The march, Zulu said is also against some barbaric violence that the government does not want to clearly account for through thorough and transparent investigations.
“This can no longer be left to the starving, and toiling masses of Zimbabwe alone to solve. There is nothing that an old woman can do against a heavily armed and well-fed soldier.
“Chinamasa boasts of what these soldiers did in the near past and calls them their “cadres”.
“There is no record of violent clashes between members of different political parties. Soldiers in their full uniform have been deployed to shoot at demonstrators and at anyone who happens to be nearby. This is a clear message from Chinamasa,” added Zulu. – Newzim
