DETECTIVES investigating the violent murder of a police officer in a Harare suburb arrested “dozens” of MDC-T supporters at multiple addresses late Sunday and throughout the day on Monday, the party confirmed.
Inspector Petros Mutedza, 24, died on Sunday after being beaten to death at the Glen View 3 Shopping Centre, police say by MDC-T supporters who were holding an “illegal” meeting there.
Mutedza, who was based at Borrowdale Police Station, was the officer-in-charge of the Harare Police Reaction Group. A second police officer, who has not been named, was treated for injuries in hospital and later discharged, said police spokesman Superintendent Andrew Phiri.
The officers were part of a police team sent to stop the alleged MDC-T meeting, using oft-criticised security and public order laws which prohibit the holding of political gatherings without police authorisation.
The officers stormed the Munyarari Nightclub where the illegal meeting was allegedly taking place but they were attacked with an assortment of objects including chairs and stones, police said.
The MDC-T, which is led by Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, said “dozens” of its supporters had been rounded-up, but police would not confirm the number of people arrested as their investigations continued late Monday.
In a statement, the party said: “Police have arrested dozens of MDC activists and their families, most of them in their homes and workplaces on allegations of killing a police inspector who his colleagues say was murdered by unknown revellers at a liquor store in Glen View, Harare.
“It is important to note that before any investigations had been done, the police rushed to the national press to blame the MDC. The resultant arrests of MDC members are therefore an attempt to justify this unorthodox behaviour.”
The party named some of those arrested as Last Maengahama, an MDC national executive member, and his three brothers, Stanley and Edison. Also detained were Odius, Lloyd and Precious Chitanda.
Mavis Madzokere, the wife of Glen View councillor, Tungamirai Madzokere, and Ollyn Madzokere, her sister-in-law, were reportedly detained at their home.
Another party member, Stefan Takaedzwa, was picked up outside the MDC-T’s headquarters on Monday afternoon.
The allegations against the MDC-T supporters, if proven, would be a major blow for the party which has campaigned on a platform of peace, while pinning political violence on President Robert Mugabe’s Zanu PF party at regional and international foras.