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(GreatZimbabweNews) More MDC-T violence lies exposed

More MDC-T violence lies exposed
20 July, 2008 02:29:00 Chris Chivinge

On July 9, 2008, when all the damage has been done, The New York Times, one of the newspapers that published the photograph of the 11-month-old baby in casts, admits it had lied On June 26, a day before Zimbabwe’s Presidential Election runoff, the world woke up to Western falsehoods suggesting that violence in Zimbabwe had reached unprecedented levels. To back up the claim was a small crowd of people who had sought refuge at the US embassy. The people were falsely portrayed as victims of political violence. The falsehoods of violence resonated in the Western media from New York to London.

To bring attention to the violence falsehoods, a picture of an 11-month-old baby with legs in plaster of Paris was splashed on the pages. All the newspapers screamed the baby had suffered broken bones at the hands of Zanu-PF militia because its parents were MDC-T supporters.

While the MDC-T supporters were seeking refuge outside the US embassy, MDC-T leader Mr Morgan Tsvangirai was a guest at the Dutch embassy. He claimed he feared for his life. But analysts contend this was a move designed to ensure that Mr Tsvangirai’s handlers had better control of him.

Today, as the inter-party dialogue is underway, the MDC-T still holds onto its claims of violence and political intimidation. Mr Tsvangirai claims more than 2,000 of his supporters have been abducted by security agents and more than 120 murdered in post June 27, presidential election runoff violence.

Ahead of the runoff, Mr Tsvangirai claimed more than 200 of his supporters had been killed. This contrasted sharply with official police reports which indicated that 31 people had been killed in political violence cases between March 29 and June 10, 2008.

One of the “missing” persons, MDC-T councillor for Goromonzi Ward 20, Cllr Romeo Mugadza has expressed shock at the fact that he had been reported missing. Cllr Mugadza said he has been staying in Mutare with his wife, Juliet.

It all began when an MDC-T supporter Lazarus Ndlovu reported to police in Goromonzi on July 2 that Cllr Mugadza had been abducted by Zimbabwe National Army soldiers on June 23 and a missing persons record 5/08 was entered.

Police spokesman Chief Superintendent Oliver Mandipaka said subsequent investigations revealed that Cllr Mugadza had been arrested on June 24 on allegations of violence and released on summons on June 26. He was a free man and cast his vote on June 27 and attended the swearing in ceremony of Goromonzi Rural District Council.

“Tsvangirai and his Western backers would like the world to believe Zimbabwe is a violent country with no regards for human rights. They would like to hoodwink the world into believing President Robert Mugabe and his Zanu-PF government are guilty of orchestrating violence.

“When such evidence is not available, they make it up or act it. It is sad when one sees innocent Zimbabweans, including children being used as apparatus in such wicked acts,” said a political analyst in an interview with Great Zimbabwe News Online.

On July 9, 2008, when all the damage has been done, The New York Times, one of the newspapers that published the photograph of the 11-month-old baby in casts, admits it had lied and places the blame on the mother’s baby.

A front-page picture caption on June 26 describing an 11-month-old boy whose legs were in casts stated that his legs were broken and that his mother said the injuries were caused by an episode of state-sponsored violence in Zimbabwe.

"After the picture and an accompanying article that also described the injuries were published, The New York Times took the boy to a medical clinic in Harare for help. When the casts were removed, medical workers there discovered the boy had club feet. Doctors said on Monday that X-rays of the baby’s legs showed no evidence of bone fractures.

“The mother subsequently admitted that she had exaggerated injuries…

“…The mother, however, later told The Times that the boy had been wearing casts even at the time of the attack, as part of a treatment he had received for his club feet at a different medical facility. She said she misrepresented the boy’s injuries to generate help because she could not afford corrective surgery for the boy,” said the New York Times in its retraction.

The same crowd, that was at the US embassy, had earlier on camped outside the South African Embassy.

They were used as part of a cast for a choreographed story of violence with US embassy staff including the US ambassador to Zimbabwe Mr James McGee as the directors.

The reports on violence of MDC-T supporters have surprisingly, increased ahead of any crucial meetings where Zimbabwe is supposed to be discussed, be it at the UN Security Council, the European Union, African Union or Sadc. The media grandstanding events in Zimbabwe have been echoed in the corridors of White House in Washington DC and No. 10 Downing Street.

“Cllr Mugadza is an honourable man. He has come out in the open to distance himself from claims that he had been abducted by ZNA members. The MDC-T owes the nation an apology. Its claims of missing persons are unfounded.

“They are a deliberate lie meant to feed the Western rumour mill and justify British and American sanctions against Zimbabwe.

“Such deliberate lies are not being deployed against Zimbabwe alone. We have seen it against Iraq and claims that there were weapons of mass destruction. But after the illegal invasion, there were no weapons of mass destruction. Both the British and US government agreed that they had “sexed-up” their dossiers to justify their attack,” said a political commentator.

A number of MDC-T elect officials have been on the police wanted list for engaging in acts of violence during the run-up to the June 27 presidential election runoff. Most of these have gone underground in their bid to escape from facing the full wrath of the law.

“The MDC-T claims of violence against its members are not true. What is true is the fact that MDC-T is a violent party. This has been made worse by the presence of Rhodesian security agents, including remnants of the infamous Selous Scouts in its ranks,” said a Johannesburg political scientist.

Police Commissioner General Augustine Chihuri on June 20, 2008, gave out statistics relating to political violence.

According to the figures, Comm General Chihuri said: “It is without doubt that between the two political parties the MDC-T and Zanu PF, the MDC-T is the main culprit to the political violence that we are currently witnessing in the country. There are several incidents involving MDC-T party which come to mind. I will highlight just but a few of the incidents that clearly outline who is to blame for political violence in Zimbabwe:

“On March 15, 2008 at Redcliff, Morgan Tsvangirai, the leader of the MDC-T, deserted a rally after one of his bodyguards stabbed a supporter who had challenged Tsvangirai for imposing a candidate in the March 29 Harmonised elections. Earlier on, Tsvangirai had fled from another rally in Gweru after violence had broken out. Even on the day of the launch of his party’s campaign manifesto at Sakubva stadium in Mutare, violence also broke out among his supporters.

“The culture of violence permeated to Bulawayo as on 29 March 2008 at 0100 hours, MDC-T supporters bombed house Number 2510 Emakhandeni, Bulawayo, owned by the Zanu-PF House of Assembly aspiring candidate for Emakhandeni-Entumbane, Judith Mkwanda.

“Soon after the Harmonised elections and before the announcement of results had been concluded, violence again reared its ugly head in the MDC-T camp in St Marys Chitungwiza. Several people were seriously injured and hospitalised after Marvelous Khumalo the MDC-T candidate for St Marys constituency and his supporters celebrated victory, went with a coffin inscribed ‘Jobless Sikhala – Rest in Peace’ to the house of the MDC candidate Job Sikhala.”

Police have repeatedly challenged the MDC-T leadership to provide evidence for their claims before making false allegations.

“(Mr) Tsvangirai was ill-advised when he announced his pullout despite it being a nullity. He is also being ill-advised when he continues to make embarrassing lies about missing people and deaths of what he claims to be MDC-T supporters. This lie has been exposed so many times.

“It dates back to the days of the false story of the be-heading of a Magunje woman (Brandina Tadyanemhandu) in the presence of her two daughters in 2002. The MDC claimed she was victim number 55 during the year and questioned Zanu-PF’s sincerity in inter-party dialogue.

“What happened of the story? It all turned out to be untrue. The MDC, The Daily News and their entire Western rumour mill were left with egg on their face. It is clear the MDC-T has not learnt from its numerous false stories of murder, kidnapping and political violence.

“Despite being proved to be the source of non-credible information, the Western media is willing to listen and at times, willing and ready to take part in the creation of photo opportunities in order to peddle more falsehoods on Zimbabwe,” said another political scientist.

Labels: INTERNATIONAL MEDIA, MDC VIOLENCE

posted by MrK @ 7:20 PM