MDC-T Youth Assembly vehicle set on fire

The opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC-T) has accused President Robert Mugabe’s regime of burning down a vehicle belonging to its Youth Assembly after a protest calling for electoral reforms was violently disrupted by police in the capital Harare on Wednesday.

Riot police fired tear gas and used water cannon to break up the protest by mainly MDC-T youths who are calling for free and fair elections next year. The opposition is not happy with voter registration centres it believes favour President Mugabe and his ruling Zanu PF party.

“Heavily armed police officers brutally crushed our peaceful demonstration,” MDC youth secretary general Lovemore Chinoputsa said in statement on Wednesday.

Later in the evening an Isuzu KB vehicle belonging to the party’s Youth Assembly was torched. Former student leader and now MDC-T Deputy Treasurer General Chalton Hwende narrated what happened.

“After the successful demonstration yesterday the regime last night burned some vehicles belonging to our Youth Assembly and is now hunting our leadership. We must refuse to be intimidated and we must show them that we are united as the suffering and toiling people of Zimbabwe.

“We would like to show this regime that we are united in our call for a free and fair election. We are launching now a public campaign to replace our vehicle so that our youth Assembly can continue with their peaceful demonstrations until we achieve a free and fair election.

Hwende said they would soon launch a GoFundMe appeal to raise money to replace the vehicle.