(TALKZIMBABWE) Violence erupts at MDC-T elections

Violence erupts at MDC-T elections
By: Floyd Nkomo
Posted: Monday, April 11, 2011 6:28 am

An injured MDC-T youth involved in a scuffle with another party member on Saturday

VIOLENCE rocked the MDC-T election for Bulawayo Province with beer bottles, stones, baseball bats, iron bars and fists used by that party's supporters to pound each other.

Losing candidate, Mr Matson Hlalo, yesterday refused to accept defeat in Saturday's intra-party poll, citing violence and rigging.

Mr Hlalo, who is Senator for Mzilikazi, cited a bloody campaign, which he said, was employed by Mr Gorden Moyo, a former junior party member, who was declared the winner.

In Mutare, MDC-T chief whip in Parliament and Mutare Central legislator, Mr Innocent Gonese had to run for his life after youths loyal to one faction involved in the Manicaland provincial congress executive election sought to beat him up.

In Bulawayo, scores of party supporters in Makokoba and Mzilikazi said they were now living in fear as the two camps, Sen Hlalo and Minister Moyo's traded accusations of using gangster tactics to cower their rivals into submission.

At least three MDC-T followers were brutally attacked by unknown assailants last week, and were hospitalised.

Riot police had a torrid time trying to separate youths who were trading blows. Two party youths were arrested in the fracas.

Mr Hlalo, the incumbent chairman going into the chaotic Saturday election, said four of his supporters had to be rushed to hospital after being severely assaulted by what he alleged were his opponent's supporters.

Many more were intimidated in the vicious onslaught, he alleged.

Mr Hlalo also alleged massive rigging in the poll saying the most serious example was that after the ballot count, there were seven more votes than the number of delegates.

The election was held at Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions offices in Bulawayo.

Mr Hlalo said he would contest the result through the party's channels. "There is no way I will accept that result. I have already sent a petition to the party leadership and they will see it tomorrow (today)," said Mr Hlalo.

"To begin with, Makokoba constituency that had 36 delegates voting was not supposed to be included in the election.

"Sixteen delegates from Mpopoma-Pelandaba constituency, who are my supporters and two others from Magwegwe were beaten and chased away from the venue by Mr Gorden Moyo's violent supporters," he said.

Mr Moyo on Saturday insisted he had won a free and fair election saying accusations to the contrary were "trash".

But Mr Hlalo who lost by a margin of about 10 votes said: "The election was not free, neither was it fair. The overwhelming violence outside the venue intimidated those of my supporters, who were able to come in and vote."

Violence has continued to characterise the MDC-T's restructuring exercise across the country ahead of its national congress, which is scheduled for next month at Bulawayo's Barbourfields Stadium in Bulawayo.

Last week, the party's legislator for Makokoba and vice-president, Ms Thokozani Khuphe was implicated in the in fighting when her bodyguards allegedly assaulted Sen Hlalo's supporters at Macdonald Hall and later at Stanley Hall, during preparations for the provincial chair's elections.

Reports of clashes among MDC-T supporters have been recorded in some parts of the country, including Masvingo, Mashonaland West and Midlands.

Meanwhile, chaotic scenes were witnessed in Mutare yesterday as MDC-T chief whip, Mr Innocent Gonese ran for his life after youths loyal to one faction involved in the Manicaland Provincial Congress Executive election sought to beat him up.

Initially, the youths belonging to Engineer Elias Mudzuri faction that is opposed to the MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirai's faction had barred Mr Gonese from entering the hall in which the elections were being held.

When Mr Gonese eventually managed to enter the hall the situation turned nasty as the youths wanted to get a piece of him.

He fled the scene with the youths in hot pursuit. Some members are reported to have sustained injuries in the incident.

The MDC-T's Manicaland provincial spokesperson Mr Pishai Muchauraya confirmed that there was pandemonium at the elections but everything had gone well.

"I am not really sure why Honourable Gonese had to run away but otherwise the election went on well. All the disturbances that took place on Saturday were caused by Zanu-PF youths bent on disrupting the proceedings.

"The safe thing is that we are going to unite both the winner and the loser and make sure we get all the 26 seats in Manicaland come election time," he said.