More pictures of boy burnt to death by Zanu PF militia

UPDATED – These are the pictures of the 12-year-old boy who was set ablaze by Zanu PF militias in a shocking case of political violence. Christpower Simbarashe Maisiri of Headlands died after Zanu PF thugs burnt the hut he was sleeping in.

Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai’s MDC said Christpower’s father, Shepherd, is the party’s local deputy organising secretary and is on the ticket to stand as an MDC candidate in the forthcoming elections.

According to relatives and witnesses who arrived at the scene after the incident, Maisiri has been a constant target of attacks by suspected Zanu PF activists in the area.

“He filed eight reports after being attacked by political rivals. This was the ninth time. The last time he was attacked was on October 20 last year,” said a neighbour.

Militias suspected of being behind the heinous murder first descended on Maisiri’s home after 7 pm Saturday night and attacked dogs, which the MDC activist was now keeping at the homestead to ward off attackers, neighbours said.

They said Maisiri was away on party business when the attack happened.

“The group came back at between 11 pm and midnight. That is when Maisiri’s wife and other family members heard an explosion. They went out to investigate and found the hut where the five children were sleeping on fire,” said a witness close to the family.

“The elder boy smashed the door to the hut and rescued four of the children but then the roof carved in, trapping the last of the five, who happened to be Christpower. Maisiri called the police who promised to dispatch officers but that did not happen.

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