Christopher Makaza
The Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) is reportedly training its youth in weapon handling, martial arts and self-defence skills under the disguise of Harare City Council Municipal police training. Harare Post has learnt.
The training is allegedly meant to prepare the opposition party for future demonstrations which they have lined up to force President Emmerson Mnangagwa to release power to MDC leader Nelson Chamisa.
It is alleged that the party’s Councillors, Mayors and House of Assembly members have been tasked to identify loyal youths to undergo the training.
Harare City Council in September 2018 recruited about 700 Municipal Police officers who graduated on 8 February 2019 and among the graduates were Provincial Secretary for Research and Policy Jeffery Chaitezvi and Provincial Youth Assembly Deputy Organising Secretary Vivian Chitimbe. These two allegedly coordinated youths who participated in last year’s violence.
Suspiciously, Chaitezvi is said to be over qualified to train as a Municipal Officer as it is alleged that he is a holder of a Masters of Science Degree in Public Policy.
Sometime in 2002, the MDC formed what they called the Democratic Resistance Committee (DRC), a group that was being trained militarily to administer mayhem on innocent people in the name of “regime change”. White farmers then shared spaces on their farms to train these youths and this training was being allegedly led by the late Roy Bennett (late ex-MP). The DRC morphed into the Vanguard. Anyone who undermined the nature of the militancy of the MDC did so at their own peril.
In March 2007 alone, the MDC youths were credited with committing some of the most violent crimes listed below as can be confirmed by police records: 12 March: Petrol bombing of Zimbabwe Republic Police, Unit N Police Camp in Chitungwiza. 13 March: Petrol bombing of ZANU PF branch chairman’s house in Unit L, Chitungwiza. 13 March: A Zimbabwe National Army member and flea market vendors were assaulted by MDC youths. 13 March: Petrol bombing of Nehanda Police Post in Mkoba, Gweru. 14 March: Four MDC youths petrol-bombed a police officer’s house at Marimba Park Police Station seriously injuring three female officers. 18 March: Petrol bombing of House Number 11 Zanu Yotonga Street, in Zengeza, Chitungwiza, on wrong intelligence that it belonged to a ZANU PF councillor of the area. 19 March: A cross border Toyota Coaster (AAZ 3976) ferrying shoppers from Botswana was stoned and burnt down at Kuwadzana roundabout along Bulawayo Road, the list is endless.
The MDC youths also actively participated in last year’s destructive demonstrations as well as the 14 to 16 January violent demonstrations that led to loss of lives and destruction of property worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. This is an indication that violence is in MDC DNA.
