Reactions to Elton Mangoma assault

All hell broke loose outside the MDC-T Harvest House headquarters in Harare on Saturday as party supporters allegedly assaulted party Deputy Treasurer General Elton Mangoma and other officials accused of seeking the ouster of party leader Morgan Tsvangirai.

Below are some of the reactions to the incident.

Obert Gutu, MDC-T Harare Province Spokesman: “The MDC-T is a people’s project and in all its endeavours, it is guided by the wishes, desires and aspirations of all law-abiding Zimbabweans. Violence in any form and by whomsoever is not part of the MDC-T agenda.

We should all of us promote unity of purpose and appreciate the fact that the real struggle is against an uncaring, corrupt, misguided and archaic kleptocratic dictatorship.

The MDC-T is a party of excellence and not a party of violence and thuggery. We are the political party of choice in Zimbabwe and we represent the future of this mighty nation. We should remain united, resolute and unwavering in our peaceful and democratic struggle against the corrupt, violent and brutal Zanu PF dictatorship.”

Mfundo Mlilo- Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition Spokesperson: “The Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition (CIZC), condemns in the strongest terms all manner or form of violence. We call upon the President of the MDC-T Mr. Tsvangirai and the entire leadership of the Party to urgently and with due diligence act on the reports of intra-party violence that have been reported at their Harvest House offices. We further urge the Party to desist from resolving political questions using violence.

Zimbabwe Democracy Institute director Pedzisai Ruhanya: “We condemn this totally undemocratic behaviour. Violence is a political culture that we must not tolerate and we expect the MDC leadership to take strong action against these perpetrators. Surely this is not the democracy that they purport to champion. It depicts the MDC as democratic charlatans not different from ZANU PF.

Former St Mary’s MP Job Sikhala: “The culture of political violence that has been living with us since 1980 should not be tolerated in an independent and free society. Since 1980, Zimbabwe has lost thousands of it’s citizens through political violence by leaders who were intolerant of any opposition to their throne.

Internal assassinations were committed to eliminate and silence those who were opposed to the political rule of a political occultist. Up to present political violence has become the modus operandi by those who see any threat and discussion to their grip of the little power they have.

No sane Zimbabwean will tolerate the political violence perpetrated again the former Minister of Energy and Power Development. We condemn the barbarism exercised by those whose agenda is no different from those who wanted to silence any form of opposition in this country.

We urge Hon Elton Mangoma to get solace, that the majority of Zimbabweans strongly abhors any form of violence perpetrated against those who hold a different political opinion.” 

Japhet Moyo, Secretary General, Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions: “The ZCTU has got a slogan which goes like; Ichamira chete! Mirizhonga. This was coined during the run up to political parties primary elections and harmonised elections.

That position has not changed and we encourage dialogue as a way of narrowing our differences because in our view people will always have different opinions on various issues. People should refrain from engaging in acts which lead to violence.”

Kudzai Kwangwari (Chairperson – Youth Agenda Trust): ‘The political behavior exihibited by the Movement for Democratic Change led by former Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai is unacceptable and should be condemned in the strongest of terms.

That the party claims to pursue democratic change so that a democratic dispensation subsists in this country makes it even more worrying. There is no way you can achieve democracy in this country if you can’t practice it in your political party.

Zimbabweans are not going to accept the usual public relations which comes from the likes of Mr Douglas Mwonzora, who usually has nothing to say and says it in many words this time. We want action to deal with this cancer.

Otherwise Morgan Tsvangirai has no democracy to talk about and until something is done on this issue, we urge all peace-loving Zimbabweans not to vote for this undemocratic party which attacks its own including Mr Mangoma who is physically-challenged.

Not that if he wasn’t physically challenged, then it would have been ok, but that if Morgan Tsvangirai harbors such criminals it means he is as insensitive as some of the worst leaders we have seen in the history of politics.

And please we urge MDC to deal with this issue without thinking in terms of ZANU PF or linking it to ZANU PF as Mwonzora wants to suggest. This is the manifestation of your dangerous political attitude as a party which fails to exercise tolerance. We suspect that other than wanting power for its sake Tsvangirai is afraid that Mangoma will disclose some of the important secrets about Tsvangirai’s behaviour.”

Zimbabweans United for Democracy (ZUNDE) “does not believe in the archaic, retrogressive and barbaric politics of fists and missiles. Rather, we are advocates for values and substance. We are, therefore, deeply concerned with reports of violence that took place over the weekend at Harvest House as widely reported.

ZUNDE strongly believes that hoodlums such as those who reportedly assaulted Elton Mangoma over the weekend as well as other MDC-T officials have no place in modern day politics. Let degrees in violence be the sole preserve for ZANU PF not those who cherish and fight for democratic values.

For a party that is supposedly democratic to unleash dogs of terror at its own is both despicable and unforgivable. Progressive politics must be guided by the values and principles of Ubuntu/Hunhu. Assaulting a person simply because he/she holds a view different to yours is seriously at variance with what ZUNDE stands for.”

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Harvest of Thorns: Elton Mangoma Assault in Pictures

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