Makoni Central legislator, Patrick Sagandira (CCC), councillor Teddy Chipere and other party members were arrested on Tuesday in connection with post-election violence in the district.
Violence ensued in ward 33 following a run-off election on Monday and reports said several Zanu PF party supporters were injured in the skirmishes.
There was no winner in ward 33 on August 23 and 24 elections after CCC candidate Priscilla Rujeko Saruwaka and Zanu PF’s Maxwell Japan polled the same number of votes.
In the election run-off on Monday, Zanu PF’s Japan garnered 928 votes against Saruwaka’s 625, triggering the alleged violence.
Sagandira and Chipere, who is a councillor in ward 1 in Rusape town, and a number of other party supporters were later arrested after the announcement of the results.
CCC Manicaland chairperson, Prosper Mutseyami confirmed the arrests.
“They are being charged with political violence, but he (Sagandira) was not there in Nyazura. He never went there. “These are trumped-up charges,” he said.
“Sagandira was arrested when he went to see other party members who had been detained.”
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On Tuesday morning before his arrest, Sagandira had claimed that he was being targeted.
Zanu PF Manicaland provincial chairperson, Tawanda Mukodza yesterday said he was attending to the injured party supporters in Rusape.
“We have nine supporters and some of them are seriously injured. We need money to pay the bills and we are told Sagandira used his Land Rover vehicle to ferry the CCC supporters in Rusape,” he told NewsDay.
Some shops at Nyazura business centre were reportedly vandalised by CCC supporters. NewsDay failed to contact police for comment, but indications are that the accused CCC members will appear in court today.
