Ten other MDC supporters who were also attacked were treated and discharged. The three who could barely speak, were being treated for injuries ranging from broken ribs, broken legs and suspected a fractured skull after being struck by stones, iron bars and sticks. They were stabbed with screw drivers.
The MDC-T supporters, who were waylaid by at least 50 Zanu PF youths at a roundabout along Simon Mazorodze road, were also robbed of their money and mobile phones and other personal belongings before they were left for dead near Mukuvisi river.
The attack comes at a time when President Robert Mugabe has been calling for an end to political violence, but has not been able to rein in his supporters. Zanu PF yesterday denied involvement in the vicious attack.
The victims said they were attacked when coming from Rotten Row Magistrates’ Courts where, earlier in the day, they had protested against the arrest of MDC-T youth leader Solomon Madzore on allegations of murdering a police officer in Glen View earlier this year.
The youths said the T35 truck they were riding in was blocked when they were approaching a roundabout near Houghton Park by a commuter omnibus and a white twin cab Isuzu.
Afterwards the Zanu PF militia advanced towards them holding sticks, stones, screw drivers and crowbars before mercilessly attacking everyone in the T35 truck.
Speaking from his hospital bed, Prince Mwenezhi who could hardly speak, said he was taken to Mukuvisi River where he was beaten up using sticks and iron bars with others kicking him all over his body.
- Chamisa under fire over US$120K donation
- Mavhunga puts DeMbare into Chibuku quarterfinals
- Pension funds bet on Cabora Bassa oilfields
- Councils defy govt fire tender directive
Keep Reading
“All the time they were beating me up they kept demanding that I give them the money I got from Harvest house,” said Mwenezhi. “There were also accusing me of having beaten up a police officer at the Magistrates court.”
Another victim, Vengesai Chingoriro, also speaking from his hospital bed, said he had been blindfolded with his sweater before being brutally assaulted.Zanu PF secretary for administration Didymus Mutasa yesterday denied the party’s youths were involved in the attack.
He instead claimed it was the MDC-T youths who had attacked each other. Efforts to get a comment from the police were fruitless yesterday.
