Transcript

ZTV report at 8:22pm on Newshour 28/22/01

ZANU PF members of parliament have raised concern over their security following a spate of violence that struck Mashonaland West recently. Parliamentary corespondent Marcelyn Nyangoni reports:

The MP for Kadoma West Hon Ziyambi raised concern about the ZANU PF leadership security, and what the Government is going to do to safeguard the people from acts of violence in Mashonaland West.

At the ZANU PF caucus meeting at the Parliament reports were made from Mberengwa West that Cde Chiwera's house was petrol bombed last night, seriously injuring his wife and child. His colleague Cde Mujeri was beaten up by suspected MDC youths believed to be staying at Sekai Holland's house at Mataga Growth Point. Sekai is the MDC candidate who lost to Cde Joram Gumbo in last year's parliamentary elections.

Transcript ends.

Response from Sekai Holland:

The occupants in my house have never gone into the district to attack anybody, let alone petrol bomb someone else's house. They are there to guard the house and ensure my safety when I am in Mberengwa. MDC members use the house for holding their meetings and have done so for more than a year now in spite of regular police harrassment and threats. After listening to the ZTV news report I contacted those in the house and they were shocked as they have not heard that story themselves. I rang the ZTV news editor to find out who the source of that report is and why they had not verified the story with me. He will find out tomorrow morning and ring me back wwith the information.

The report is a lie. I fear that it is made to lay the ground for a return to a violence presidential campaign by the ruling party in Mberengwa district. Recently Big Chitoro was released on bail and has held three rallies todate in Mberengwa West inspite of that this is contrary to his bail conditions that he never participate in political activities. As well as that development, the alleged killing of a youth by the Mataga police officer in charge at Jeka after an MDC rally which took place in early November and remains unconcluded.

On the day of the news broadcast, the detective at Mataga Growth Point summoned the youths from the Holland home at Mataga demanding to know why they were at the Mataga hall the day before. They told him that war veterans were standing around the voter registration exercise at the hall to frighten the villagers. They explained that they had gone there to encourage those who wished to do so to register. The conversation ended amicably. The Holland home is regularly visited by the police, occupants harrassed, threats made to whoever is found inside the house but this has not scared away those in the house.

This latest story on the ZTV news is yet another attempt to remove the occupants out of Mataga and it is also yet another story put out to prepare the ground to harm me and members of my family.

Sekai Holland

Background story

On the 3rd and 4th of November this year Movement for Democratic Change youths from the Midlands South province in Gweru travelled to Mberengwa district to hold their regular MDC youth forum to encourage them to register to vote. Rallies were held and leaflets on the subject dropped at key centres throughout the district of Mberengwa during those two days.

On Monday 5 November reports arrived in Harare that at the venue of the final rally, Jeka, the Mataga police followed the truck carrying the MDC youths who were dropping their leaflets to the villagers but reached their destination after the truck had returned to Gweru. The officer in charge of Mataga police station - Inspector Magumise (who prides himself of being a war veteran and has tried hard to force the occupants of the Holland's home out of Mataga growth point and out of Mberengwa district itself) was in the police vehicle at Jeka. He is said to have captured a young man, one Ravengai T Sikumucha, whose brother (an MDC youth activist at Masarira) was wearing the same colour jacket as his and had with other MDC youths run away at the arrival of the police car. It is alleged that the Inspector and CIO operative Walter picked up Ravengai and tortured him to death.

This report was confirmed by an eye witness who is now in Harare fearing for his life. He said that the body was left at Musume hospital after the parents of the deceased refused to accept the police story that their son had leapt from the back of the police vehicle. The Buchwa police were said to have finally taken the body to Bulawayo for an autopsy last Thursday. The body has not yet been laid to rest.

The Holland's home has been a target for attack for more than a year now. Every attempt has been made to remove occupants out of not just Mataga Growth Point but out of Mberengwa district itself. The home is used by the MDC party to hold their weekly district meetings. It is also used by the youth and women's groups who wish to have training and any other gatherings. This has been necessitated by that the ruling party does not allow MDC to use the Mataga council hall at the growth point.