ED preaches peace amid increasing violence against opposition

Sibongile Dube

President Emmerson Mnagagwa has reiterated his call for peace ahead of the August 23 election amid deadly violence allegedly perpetrated by his supporters on the opposition.

As Mnangagwa was saying all the right words about peace at  the Colliery Stadium in Hwange, some Zanu PF supporters were stoning Citizens Coalition for Change supporters in Harare who were reportedly distributing fliers for a rally. The deadly attacks led to the gruesome death of CCC supporter, Tinashe Chitsunge.

There were also reports of an orgy of violence in Mutasa and Nyanga South following CCC leader, Nelson Chamisa’s rally. According to the CCC, Zanu PF thugs barricaded the road, attacking and injuring several people.

Mnangagwa has been consistent in his call for a peaceful election but his party’s intensifying alleged violent activities are at odds with the peaceful calls of the leader.

Addressing thousands that gathered in Hwange for his star rally, Mnangagwa claimed the country is peaceful and pledged to continue preaching peace during the  election period.

 “We are only a few days before the elections, we preach peace today, we shall continue to preach peace,” he said.

 In a concilliatory tone, the veteran politician commended other political parties who have been preaching peace. “We are brothers and sisters; we may differ politically but we remain children of Zimbabwe,” he added.

Mnangagwa encouraged members of the public to vote for Zanu PF in the coming elections.

“On the 23 August, let’s all go and vote for Zanu PF. This is the party which tells the real story of the liberation in Zimbabwe. Let us all go and vote for Zanu Pf and protect the legacy which was left by our forefathers,”he said.

The president assured the  ex-Hwange Colliery workers that he will make sure they are not evicted by the company. 

“I heard that here in Hwange, there are pensioners who are still staying in the colliery houses. We are going to make efforts so that all these pensioners get title deeds and own the houses. We cannot continue to be slaves in our motherland,” he said to applause.

He commended the country’s bilateral relationship with “all-weather friend” China.

“Despite the sanctions imposed by the West, China has stood with us as evidenced by the projects we have achieved together in the Second Republic,” he said. The expansion project at Hwange Unit 7 and 8 is one of the Zimbabwe-China partnership projects.

Before addressing the public, the president toured and commissioned Unit 7 and 8 at the Hwange Power Station where he was accompanied by senior government officials.

“The commission we have here is a celebration of the partnership we have with China,” he said.

The expansion project was built at a cost of US$1,5 billion by a Chinese contractor.  Hwange units 7 and 8 will add a combined 600MW  to the existing 920 MW from units 1-6.