By Fungi Kwaramba
President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s ruling Zanu PF reacted angrily to its former members’ testimonies before the Commission of Inquiry into the August 1 killings, calling for the police to investigate the “violent thugs.”
Former ruling party officials who included former Harare province youth chairperson Jim Kunaka and legislator Shadreck Mashayamombe spilled ruling party beans of how it has institutionalised violence when they appeared before the former South Africa president Kgaleme Motlanthe’s commission on Wednesday, leaving Zanu PF at a loss for words.
While the youth league of the ruling party called for the arrest of Kunaka, who confessed to have committed several barbaric acts under orders from Zanu PF, the ruling party’s spokesperson Simon Khaya Moyo was more guarded than the vociferous youths, saying the ruling party would only comment after the commission makes its report.
“The commission is still sitting and we don’t comment when they are still sitting; we only comment when they finish their report,” said Khaya Moyo.
But the youth league wants nothing less than the head of their former comrades.
Zanu PF youth league national chairperson Pupurai Togarepi described Kunaka as a loose cannon and a danger to himself.
“He is someone who is on a suicide mission without necessarily appreciating it because he has people behind him who are using him like a puppet.
“However, he has done a service to the nation, albeit unbeknown to him by confessing publicly to the dastardly deeds.
“Now the police should investigate and arrest him if what he said was indeed true.
“We, however, would like to make it clear as the youth league that we dissociate ourselves from his lies and attempts to drag the name of the party into the murky waters.
“It is known that Kunaka was a member of the G40 cabal that had captured former president Robert Mugabe, no wonder why he rose to become a leader at the expense of fitting and bona fide Zanu PF cadres deserving of such an appointment to lead Harare province.
“We are a law-abiding party and follow faithfully in the footsteps of our leader …Mnangagwa who preaches peace, love and unity and there is no way Zanu PF youths would
have abused people as claimed by Kunaka,” Togarepi said.
Another Zanu PF youth leader Tendai Chirau, who is the influential wing’s secretary for administration, said since Kunaka has confessed, what is left is for the police to do their job.
“…Kunaka has conceded perpetrating violence against the opposition and killing people for political gain live on TV before the Commission of Inquiry.
“All this was done under oath. It is the duty of the law enforcement institutions to apprehend and charge him under the laws of the land. He should not be allowed to get away with this,” Chirau said. Daily News
