by Taurai Mazwi
MDC leader Nelson Chamisa has set up a hit squad and has tasked his young brother MDC National Assembly member for Mbare, Starman Chamisa to lead it in a bid to deal with dissenting voices within the party and also wreak havoc in the country for their planned nationwide demonstrations.
The source who spoke on condition of anonymity fearing reprisal gave out a list of some of the members in the squad and the tasks they have been given.
“The hit squad consists of MDC National Youth Assembly Secretary General Gift Ostalos Siziba, Harare Province Organising Secretary Danford Ngadziore, Harare Youth Assembly members Mafaiti Mubaiwa and Lovejoy Chitengu.
“The members are expected to mobilise about thirty (30) youths per constituency who are expected to spearhead sporadic demonstrations and attack ZUPCO buses and Government properties. The abrupt violent demonstrations that took place in St Marys in Chitungwiza a few weeks ago, was just a taste of what is to come,” he said.
The source revealed that a hit list has already been drawn. The list according to the source includes members of the Defence of Morgan Tsvangirai Legacy (DMTL), which consists of disgruntled MDC founding members who think that Chamisa has abandoned the founding principles of the party. The DMTL has been resisting the current MDC leadership and is fighting to restore democracy and constitutionalism in the MDC.
The source went on to reveal other members on the hit list namely, MDC National Secretary for Presidential Affairs Morgan Komichi, MDC Deputy Secretary of International Relations Douglas Mwonzora, MDC Vice President Tendai Biti and MDC National Vice-Chairperson Job Sikhala. These members are being accused of angling for Chamisa’s post and sabotaging his programmes. Mwonzora and Komichi are also being accused of clandestinely organizing an extra ordinary congress as they are anticipating Chamisa to lose the legitimacy court case against Thokozani Khupe which is before the courts.
Zanu PF members are also on the hit list, amongst them Zanu PF secretary for administration Obert Mpofu.
This is not been the first time that the MDC formed such militant groups. The MDC once formed the Democratic Resistance Committee (DRCs) and the Vanguard which perpetrated a series of violent acts in Harare and other towns.
The Vanguard became notorious for dealing with anyone perceived to be opposed to Chamisa and the then leader Morgan Tsvangirai. Like the new hit squad, the Vanguard meted instant justice to whoever disagreed with popular sentiments in the party.
Chamisa, according to the source, could no longer use the DRC or the Vanguard as the two groups have switched allegiance to Biti, the brains behind their formation. The source said Chamisa wanted something he could single-handedly control.
