ZANU PF youths yesterday terrorised people in Harare central business district as they tried to intimidate activists who were suspected of planning to demonstrate against President Robert Mugabe during the official opening of Parliament.
BY OBEY MANAYITI
NewsDay witnessed hordes of Zanu PF youths physically assaulting vendors and others along Jason Moyo Avenue, accusing them of planning to disrupt the official opening.
Although the victims denied any knowledge of the planned demonstration, the unrestrained youths, clad in party regalia, continued the assaults.
Some female Zanu PF youths claimed they had been victimised first for wearing Zanu PF regalia and called for reinforcements from those camped at Africa Unity Square.
They then proceeded to identify those who had purportedly mocked them for wearing Zanu PF regalia.
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“You will tell those who sent you that Zanu PF is in control and does not tolerate nonsense. We have given you too much space to do what you were doing in the past few weeks, but that time is over now,” shouted one of the youths, who seemed to be the team leader, despite pleas from one of the victims that he was an innocent bystander.
“We have the right to assault you and no one can do anything to us because we are protecting our President. From today onwards, we don’t want to hear of anything called #Tajamuka/Sesijikile in this country.”
The victims professed ignorance of #Tajamuka/Sesijikile activities, with some saying they were only vendors trying to eke out a living.
The Zanu PF youth league has vowed to crush any anti-Mugabe protest, as they have accused the police of being too lenient with peaceful demonstrators.
Last week, stone-wielding suspected Zanu PF youths, disguised as angry vendors, caused a scene in Harare, as they indiscriminately attacked people going about their business.
Zanu PF Harare provincial youth leader Edson Takataka denied any involvement of Zanu PF youths in the fracas. #Tajamuka/Sesijikile spokesperson Promise Mkwananzi said yesterday’s attacks proved that Zanu PF was bent on violence.
Meanwhile, Mutasa Central legislator Trevor Saruwaka (MDC-T), who was donning a jacket bearing Zimbabwean flag colours, was yesterday denied entry into Parliament by security.
An irate Saruwaka condemned the barring, saying his gesture was a demonstration of patriotism that should be encouraged.