HARARE —
Police are investigating alleged petrol-bombing attacks which reduced Zanu PF offices in Highfield high density suburb to ashes Saturday morning and another that caused minimal damage downtown Harare.
President Robert Mugabe's party is blaming former Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai's MDC formation for the attack, promising to leave no stone un-turned in trying to find the alleged culprits.
Zanu PF spokesman Rugare Gumbo told VOA the party-owned Jongwe Printers and party offices in Highfield high density suburb were allegedly firebombed Saturday morning by “our political opponents who are not happy and complaining about the result of the July elections”.
Spokesman Douglas Mwonzora of the Tsvangirai MDC was quick to reject Zanu PF’s suggestion that his party could be responsible for the attacks.
“The MDC does not have access to the country’s arsenal, the party that has that access to weapons of war is Zanu PF,” Mwonzora told VOA. “We know that Zanu PF is trying to destroy the MDC completely but we also know that Zanu PF has internal fights about succession and the person who should take over as the party’s second vice president in the Matebeleland region. We have nothing to do with that.”
But Gumbo insisted. “The sinister activity was obviously done by our political enemies and in this particular case, we are talking about the Tsvangirai MDC,” he said. “They are the ones who have a gripe. They are whinging about the fact that the elections didn’t go well. They think Zanu PF rigged so they have a motive to do that kind of thing.”
Zanu PF says property worth thousands of dollars was destroyed in the two attacks.
A supermarket neat the Zanu PF offices in Highfield, Grocery World Supermarket, was also destroyed in the fire.
Zanu PF Harare chairman Amos Midzi also confirmed the attacks after visiting the two areas in the city.
He said damages at the printing company had been minimal, adding the Highfield office had been reduced to ashes.
“At Machipisa, there was complete destruction of property. As a party, we are certainly looking into the matter while working with the police to get to the bottom of the matter.”
President Robert Mugabe's party is blaming former Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai's MDC formation for the attack, promising to leave no stone un-turned in trying to find the alleged culprits.
Zanu PF spokesman Rugare Gumbo told VOA the party-owned Jongwe Printers and party offices in Highfield high density suburb were allegedly firebombed Saturday morning by “our political opponents who are not happy and complaining about the result of the July elections”.
Spokesman Douglas Mwonzora of the Tsvangirai MDC was quick to reject Zanu PF’s suggestion that his party could be responsible for the attacks.
“The MDC does not have access to the country’s arsenal, the party that has that access to weapons of war is Zanu PF,” Mwonzora told VOA. “We know that Zanu PF is trying to destroy the MDC completely but we also know that Zanu PF has internal fights about succession and the person who should take over as the party’s second vice president in the Matebeleland region. We have nothing to do with that.”
But Gumbo insisted. “The sinister activity was obviously done by our political enemies and in this particular case, we are talking about the Tsvangirai MDC,” he said. “They are the ones who have a gripe. They are whinging about the fact that the elections didn’t go well. They think Zanu PF rigged so they have a motive to do that kind of thing.”
Zanu PF says property worth thousands of dollars was destroyed in the two attacks.
A supermarket neat the Zanu PF offices in Highfield, Grocery World Supermarket, was also destroyed in the fire.
Zanu PF Harare chairman Amos Midzi also confirmed the attacks after visiting the two areas in the city.
He said damages at the printing company had been minimal, adding the Highfield office had been reduced to ashes.
“At Machipisa, there was complete destruction of property. As a party, we are certainly looking into the matter while working with the police to get to the bottom of the matter.”