Police raid MDC-T Gwanda offices

By Thulani Ncube | Bulawayo Bureau |

GWANDA – Police in Zimbabwe on Thursday raided the offices of Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai’s MDC party in Gwanda and seized 10 motorbikes according to officials who spoke to Nehanda Radio.

Mthokozisi Bhebhe the Secretary for Information and Publicity for the party in Matabeleland South Province told us the police are claiming the motorbikes were smuggled into the country even though the paper work was in order.

The raid was carried out by some six policemen led by an Assistant Inspector Mukanyi and a Sergeant Mpofu. No arrests had been made at the time of writing. The party said the seizure of the bikes was meant to hamper their campaign efforts ahead of elections this year.

The raid comes after a similar raid on the same provincial offices on Monday in which plain clothes police harassed employees over motorbikes stored in the provincial offices.

The police quizzed staff over the acquisition of motorbikes and threatened the Gwanda Provincial Administrator Mduduzi Tshuma with death if he does not reveal the source of the motorbikes.

The Matabeleland South MDC Provincial Chairperson Mr Watchy Sibanda said the escalating intimidation of MDC staff and members by security agents is clear testimony of the need for security sector reforms in the country.

Mr Sibanda said this incident is a clear sign of the lack of rule of law and selective application of the law.

Only last year, Zanu PF acquired 550 vehicles at a cost of about US$14 million for its election campaigns, despite failing to pay party workers for months. Local business mogul John Moxon was reported to have helped secure the cars.