Tshuma tried to protest but the thugs would hear none of it and started chanting that he be kicked out of parliament.
Seeing that Tshuma was not moving, about 20 people descended on him, dragged him with his tie and suit jacket, as they kicked and punched him while throwing him violently out of the Parliamentary Caucus room.
In the process US$700 was stolen from the Hwange legislator who had buttons from his suit ripped off.
In the meantime, the hooligans had alerted their colleagues outside that there was an MP who had been ejected and that they should deal with him. At this point they started chanting that Tshuma should be brought outside so they could “deal” with him.
A handful of police details watched as hundreds of Zanu PF supporters threatened to literally tear down parliament. The supporters later forced themselves into the building, with the police literally reduced to spectators.
For a few moments the mob that had remained outside managed to get into the parliament building foyer, where they chanted party songs threatening to cause chaos and confusion, denouncing the party’s perceived enemies.
Senator Gladys Dube, who left the caucus room just as the chaos was starting, convinced Tshuma to seek refuge in one of the adjoining rooms until the commotion died down.
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After ejecting Tshuma, the Zanu PF mob turned on journalists, whom they accused of writing falsehoods, not singing the national anthem and working for the “wrong papers” among other crimes.
They then turned on one of their own, Ripisa Kapesa, the Makonde legislator, who was accused of defending Tshuma and asking them to calm down, only leaving him when they realised he was a member of Zanu PF.
Outside parliament the chaos continued with the Zanu PF supporters turning on passersby whom they forced to chant the party’s slogans.
Aaron Ufumeli , the chief photographer at Alpha Media Holdings, publishers of The Standard and its two sister papers, the Zimbabwe Independent and NewsDay, was manhandled by the crowd as they tried to grab his camera, while others wanted him to delete the photographs he had taken.
A reporter with The Financial Gazzette, Levi Mukarati also faced the wrath of the marauding crowd, as they accused him of taking pictures. He was assaulted with clenched fists and was kicked in front of police, who later stopped the crowd.
Tshuma described the scenes at Parliament as a disgrace and regrettable.
“This is a shame, such things should not be happening, I had every right to be part of the meeting just as they did, this is regrettable,” he said.
The Zanu PF supporters also said they did not understand the Bill because it was written in English not Shona.
Police spokesman Oliver Mandipaka said he needed time to gather information and attempts to get hold of him were futile.
Similar meetings were disrupted in Chinhoyi and Masvingo by the Zanu PF thugs earlier in the week.
