By Tawanda Musariri
The Kgalema Mothlante led Commission of Inquiry into the post poll violence began to interview witnesses on Monday with five witnesses giving their evidence under oath. The oral evidence gathering process will go for three days.
The Commission, installed to bring closure to the unfortunate incident which saw six people being shot dead on the street, has invited the public to come freely to give their side of the story as they witnessed it. The witnesses will not be subjected to cross examination. The inquiry is made up of at least three lawyers, among them Professor Lovemore Madhuku.
Among the witneses were a Zanu PF Harare District employee, a street vendor, a Zimpapers security guard, a local election observer and an agro dealership company employee. All the witnesses came to give evidence at will, with some witnesses pitching up to give evidence without notice.
Milton Tapindwa Muwori, a street vendor who specialised in hiring vending tents said he was harassed by demonstrators who were baying for the blood of any Zanu PF supporter in sight. He said his tents and wares valued at $3 500 were burnt by marauding youths since he was a declared Zanu PF supporter. He operates his vending tents business along Park Street in Harare.
"In the melee, I lost property valued at $3500 and suffered bodily injury whose pain I am still nursing. The demonstrating mob burnt some of my tents, took turns to assault me using the poles we use for erecting our tents. I saved myself by hiding under the car," said Muwori.
Giving his oral evidence, Peter Kadzimba Zimowa who works at Zanu PF district office at Simon Vengesayi Muzenda, said a mob he undoubtedly identified as MDC supporters had a preconceived plan to harm Zanu PF personnel and property based on the songs they were chanting.
Zimowa further claimed that the mob burnt four vehicles, which included a party council candidate's bus together with pelting the party office windows with stones. He claimed that the carcass of one of the burnt vehicles was still hanging on the office perimeter wall at the offices.
An inspection by the Harare Post showed a wreckage of a vehicle appearing to be that of a Honda Fit sedan lodged at the northern wall of the party offices.
Nyasha Zenda, losing Zanu PF candidate for ward 6 of Harare Central Constituency told the inquiry how he escaped, leaving his bus up in flames having been torched by assailants who openly denounced Zanu PF while singing Nelson Chamisa praise songs.
"I had to disguise myself with a cap I borrowed from a sympathetic journalist after I realised that the mob was baring for my blood. My pleas for the mob to save my bus fell on deaf ears. I protested that the bus was personal property but the mob would have none of it," said Zenda.
Zenda said the bus was valued at $100 000.
Walter Mutanga, a security officer with Zimpapers told the inquiry that a mob wearing red t-shirts attempted but failed to storm into Herald House at Second Street since they had locked all the entrances to the building. Having failed to gain entry, the mob retreated into the inner city but not before they pelted the building with stones, damaging windowpane glasses, said Mutanga.
The seven member Commission is made up of people of high moral standing and global repute. Three of the Commissioners are from Zimbabwe while the remaining are from South Africa, Tanzania, Britain and Nigeria.
