Anti – Kaukonde demonstrations in Marondera (Pictures)
Scores of ZANU PF supporters and war veterans in Mashonaland East are marching in the streets of Marondera in a demonstration against provincial chairperson Ray Kaukonde.
Reporting and pictures from Jairos Saunnyama and Watson Ofumeli (The Zimbabwe Mail)
11:27 – Tensions are high in Marondera following the invasion of the ZANU PF Mashonaland East provincial offices by war veterans. There is a heavy presence of riot police who are maintaining peace. The war veterans are chanting the banned ZANU PF slogans (pasi negamatox).
11:30 – (Haungaridziri Mai Mugabe ngoma parally)
11:32 – War vets say Ray Kaukonde is now an ordinary card carrying member. Kaukonde is abusing women and should be fired.
11:33 – Sydney Sekeremayi ZANU PF secretary for security present.
11:36 – Sekeremayi attempts to order the crowd to vacate the premises. The situation is getting tense. The crowd refuses to vacate saying the offices belong to them as party supporters.
11:38 – War vets begin to sing war songs in the yard and the place is now noisy.
11:40 – War vets demand Sekeremayi to address the crowd saying Kaukonde and his executive must step down and leave office now and become ordinary card carrying members.
11: 44 – Sekeremayi agrees to address the people and begins to dance with the war veterans.
11: 58 – Sekeremayi says people should wait for congress but war vets interject saying he must leave office now. Sekeremayi losing ground and disgraced as war vets say he is wearing nice shoes whilst they are putting on rags.
12: 00 – War Vets say they have power to remove anyone from the party. Sekeremayi not being given time to respond as they insist Kaukonde must leave office.
12: 14 – (Kana gumbeze rasakara unorasa) Kaukonde must go chants the War Veterans. Mashonaland East. Mashonaland East leadership was imposed by Kaukonde says the war vets.
12:15 – Sekeremayi insists that certain procedures have to be done to fire Kaukonde.
12:16 – War vets insists that if Mliswa was fired so must it be for Kaukonde.
12:17 – Sekeremayi clueless as war veterans seem to have overpowered him through jeers and heckling.
12:20 – War vets forcing Sekeramayi to pronounce Kaukonde’s dismissal but he remains mum as war vets continue to overpower him.
12:23 – Sekeramayi insists congress will determine. Despite all the heckling and jeers Sekeremayi wears his usual smile.
12:52 – War veteran Philimon Mutongi orders war veterans to march out of the ZANU PF Mashonaland East office premises.
12:58 – Sekeramayi escorted from the raging war veterans into the party building.
13:01 – Sekeramayi’s driver waits alert in the minister’s vehicle.
13:05 – War veterans now marching towards Marondera town centre to regroup at the war veterans offices along First Street.
13:06 – Sekeramayi now escorting demonstrators out of the provincial party headquarters premises.
