ZANU PF sub-offices and a supermarket at Machipisa Shopping Centre in Highfield were yesterday morning gutted by a fire that destroyed property worth millions of dollars.
BY MOSES CHIBAYA
The cause of the fire is still unkown. A Zanu PF youth who was at the offices, Godwin Simbarashe Gomwe, said the fire started around 2am yesterday.
“It’s foul play, there are people who are targeting our offices,” he said. “This was done for a reason, there are people who have an agenda. It’s the opposition that has done this.”
But other tenants at the building suspected that the fire was started after someone from Zanu PF left a burning candle in the office when they retired to bed. The offices had no electricity, one tenant claimed.
Lawrence Tendenyi, a worker at Grocery World Supermarket, blamed the fire brigade: “When the fire brigade arrived, the fire was still concentrated in the Zanu PF building, they ran out of water and they then went back to get water, by the time they came back the flame had increased. I blame the fire brigade,” he said.
Zanu PF spokesperson, Rugare Gumbo said there was also an attempted arson attack at Jongwe Printers in Harare.
“I don’t know what is going on, but one would not be wrong to suggest that these incidents are caused by the opposition specifically the MDC-T,” he said.
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But MDC-T spokesperson, Douglas Mwonzora said the fire must be the work of Zanu PF fighting to replace President Robert Mugabe.
“We have absolutely nothing to do with that little office,” said Mwonzora. “It’s the work of Zanu PF factions fighting ahead of their congress. It is a succession battle which MDC-T has nothing to do with.” Police spokesperson Assistant Inspector Charity Charamba said she was not aware of the incident and asked to be called later.
