Minister's tears as terror campaign revealed

Minister's tears as terror campaign revealed

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By Staff Reporter

TOURISM Deputy Minister, Andrew Langa, shed tears Thursday as his opponent in the March parliamentary elections, Siyabonga Malandu Ncube, told a Bulawayo court how Langa waged a campaign of violence to cow voters into voting for him.

Ncube’s court petition seeks to overturn Langa’s poll victory and is one of 12 which the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) wants to use as a test case to prove that the March polls were “not free and fair and were held in an atmosphere of fear”.

The first case to be brought to court was one involving the MDC’s agriculture spokesman, Renson Gasela, and Zanu PF headman turned MP, Josphat Madubeko. The case ended last week with a witness for Madubeko collapsing and fainting while giving evidence. Judgement was reserved in the case.

According to the amended Electoral Act the election petitions, including those that have not been heard, have to be concluded in six months after the election. This deadline expires next Thursday.

Ncube, who lost to Langa in the race for the Insiza seat in Matabeleland South, told the court that Langa was a “gun-toting, trigger happy” man who instilled so much fear into people, including the police who seemed not to act against his alleged terror campaign.

It was at this stage that the burly politician started shedding tears and wiped his ashen face with a piece of cloth, drawing murmurs of surprise from the packed gallery.

Ncube also told the court that the “trigger happy” Langa had shot at an MDC supporter who, up to now has a bullet lodged in his back and cannot be removed because doing so would endanger his life.

The shooting allegedly occurred during a by-election for Insiza constituency three years ago which Ncube again lost to Langa.

Although that case was lodged with the courts, Ncube said nothing has been done to date.

Ncube told the court that he had taken some of the bullets fired by Langa at his election campaign team as proof that the deputy minister is a trigger happy man “not fit to be a member of the august house of parliament”.

Ncube also alleged that Langa, whose wife is an official of the grain procurement parastatal, the Grain Marketing Board, used grain to woo voters.

There was more drama outside the court as two groups of supporters of both men heckled each other.

The hearing continues with judge Nicholas Ndou presiding.
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