Tsvangirai promises enquiry into attack on MP

Tsvangirai promises enquiry into attack on MP

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By Staff Reporter

MORGAN Tsvangirai, the founding leader of Zimbabwe's feuding main opposition party said Tuesday he had set up an "independent" enquiry to look into a brutal attack on Harare North MP, Trudy Stevenson which has been blamed on his supporters.

Stevenson was targeted with four other officials of a rival MDC faction led by Arthur Mutambara on Sunday afternoon in the poor suburb of Mabvuku. She was later hospitalised with machete wounds to her head and a broken arm and wrist.

“They were calling my name: ‘Trudy! Trudy! Get out [of the car],” she said from her hospital bed. “They wanted me. They wanted to kill me."

Stung by growing international outrage, one of Tsvangirai's top officials, Tendai Biti, said they had set up a commission of enquiry on the matter, headed by a top Harare advocate.

Biti, secretary general of Tsvangirai's faction, said: "Whilst we condemn the attack, which we dismiss as barbaric, we equally condemn the attempt to “convict” other persons and political parties without any due process.

"In a bid to establish the truth, we have set up an independent internal inquiry chaired by Advocate Happias Zhou. The team also consists of two prominent lawyers, Irene Petras of the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights and Kay Ncube of Gill Godlonton and Gerrans while Kudakwashe Matibiri is the secretary.

"We hope and trust that the Commission, which begins its work with immediate effect, shall work with speed and be ready to present its findings at the end of July. We also hope and trust that the police shall also act with speed and bring the culprits to book so that they are brought before the courts."

However, Professor Welshman Ncube, once a strong ally with Tsvangirai, but now a senior figure in the rival faction, dismissed the promise of an enquiry as "a ruse to divert attention from Tsvangirai's culpability in this savage brutality."

Said Ncube: "To date, we have had several commissions of enquiry into violence within the MDC dating back to 2001 when MDC MPs and activists, including Priscilla Misihairabwi, Gabriel Chaibva, Edwin Mushoriwa and Janah Ncube were set upon by hired thugs during a Harare provincial meeting.

"We had another commission of enquiry into the attempted murder of the MDC's security director Peter Guhu. Another enquiry related to an attack on other senior party officials, including Bulilimamangwe MP Moses Mzila Ndlovu. When the findings were revealed, the party expelled some of the youths involved but they were rehired by Tsvangirai.

"We have positively identified Trudy's attackers as people previously expelled from the party, so this commission that they have just announced has nothing to do with ascertaining facts or the identity of the assailants. The pretence of trying to appear concerned and finding the truth is just a diversion and people can see through that."

The shocking level of intolerance within the MDC was brought home by the party's long-serving secretary for legal affairs, David Coltart, who took a long while choosing a side in the current feud before joining Mutambara's camp.

Giving reasons why he could not join Tsvangirai's group, Coltart said: "Zimbabwe is afflicted with a disease akin to alcoholism, namely endemic violence. What attracted me most to the MDC was its commitment to breaking this cycle of violence by using non violent means to achieve its political objectives. I was also impressed by its commitment to end impunity in Zimbabwe.

"Accordingly, the attempt by some MDC youths to murder MDC Director for Security, Peter Guhu, on the 28th September 2004 in Harvest House was deeply shocking, because it breached a fundamental tenet of what we stood for. Even worse were the subsequent revelations made at the enquiry into the Guhu incident that senior ranking MDC officials and employees were either involved or sympathetic to the youths. No action was taken against any of those responsible for this violence and in that inaction we saw for the first time a culture of impunity developing within the MDC itself, which in some respects was the worst thing of all.

"Young men often have a predisposition towards violence; that happens the world over and Zimbabwe is no different. What controls that predisposition is the manner in which it is handled by leaders. If it is not dealt with a culture of impunity develops and violence perpetuates itself.

"That is precisely what happened. Those responsible for the September 2004 violence were not immediately disciplined and it came as no surprise when the same youths were used to seriously assault MDC staff members in mid May 2005. A further enquiry was held and its report was presented to the National Council meeting held on the 25th June 2005. It was resolved that one member of staff found responsible for directing the youths be expelled.

"The youths themselves had already been expelled in late May by the Management Committee and the expulsion of the youths was confirmed. That was undoubtedly progress but regrettably it was clear from the evidence that other senior members of the MDC and staff members were also involved or sympathetic towards the youths. Before a full debate about their fate could be held the meeting was ended much to the dissatisfaction of many, including myself."

Police spokesman Wayne Bvudzijena said police enquiries were continuing into the attack.
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