by Tawanda Musariri

The losing Movement for Democratic Change Alliance led by Nelson Chamisa is reportedly activating its violence machinery ahead of a court challenge on the outcome of the harmonised elections which saw the party trailing Zanu PF far behind.

Zanu PF won the parliamentary election with 145 of the 210 constituencies. The MDC Alliance took 63 while NPF got one and an independent candidate got one seat apiece in the parliamentary vote. While Zanu PF’s first secretary, President Emmerson Mnangagwa got 50.8 percent of the vote, Chamisa got 44.3 percent with the other 21 candidates sharing the remaining 4.9 percent.

Sources close to the MDC violence management room say the party’s militia, driven by the Vanguard, is animating the Democratic Resistance Committee (DRC) to harass Zanu PF, Government and security officials with the aim of instilling fear in Zanu PF in order to sway negotiations in favour of their party. Shakespeare Mukoyi, the Vanguard leader is reportedly working in cooperation with the party’s national organiser, Amos Chibaya to animate the movement and strike fear in declared and suspected Zanu PF supporters.

Already, 26 MDC Alliance members are in court, answering to violence charges that rocked Harare ahead of the announcement of the Presidential election results which their party is challenging. In Manicaland, the Midlands and Masvingo provinces, the police are already dealing with suspected cases of arson where Zanu PF members lost thatched houses, property and food under the hand of the MDC violence machinery.

Elsewhere, in Watsomba, Manicaland, Oswell Chitere of the MDC Alliance is helping the police in a case of suspected arson after a neighbouring Zanu PF member’s house was vanquished by an overnight fire.

The police have declined to give further detail on the cases saying divulging information at this stage would harm investigations but their denial was not enough to dismiss the allegations as false.

Another party insider who declined to be identified for fear of reprisals from the Vanguard said he refused an invitation to join the terror squad earmarked for deployment in Harare at the “right time.”