The Movement for Democratic Change led by Morgan Tsvangirai today blasted Uzumba Member of Parliament Simba Mudarikwa for his “unsavoury and thuggish remarks” that there is no space for the opposition in that constituency and that ZANU-PF is guaranteed to get 80 000 votes at the next elections.
Party spokesman Obert Gutu said Uzumba Maramba Pfungwe was one of the areas where violence was rampant in 2008 and Mudarikwa’s remarks were careless.
“The remarks by Mudarikwa, at the official handover of an irrigation scheme sponsored by World Vision in Mudzi district, cannot go unchallenged,” Gutu said.
“Indeed, these thuggish and threatening remarks are clearly indicative of an intolerant and violent politician.
“It is well – documented in the annals of the political history of UMP, that this particular constituency invariably experiences extreme and barbaric politically motivated violence during every election since the year 2000.
“Hundreds of MDC supporters were murdered in cold blood in this particular district during the violent Presidential election run-off in 2008.
“Many women in this district were savagely raped and sexually molested by known ZANU-PF political thugs and hoodlums.
“The homesteads of MDC supporters were burnt down and millions of dollars’ worth of property belonging to opposition supporters was looted and destroyed.”
Gutu said the figures raised by Mudarikwa showed that ZANU-PF was already rigging the elections because there was no way “ZANU-PF will obtain 80 000 votes in the 2018 elections in a rural district with barely 20 000 registered voters”.
In 2013, the constituency had 33 658 registered voters.
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