Opposition MDC Alliance Secretary General Charlton Hwende spent the better part of last night on Twitter defending the party’s recent pronouncement that it had exonerated its Bulawayo Chairlady, Tendai Masotsha, from any wrongdoing in an alleged abduction of ZimLive Editor Mduduzi Mathuthu’s nephew, Tawanda Muchehiwa by suspected state agents in the run up to the foiled July 31 anti-corruption protests.
Masotsha who was implicated in the alleged abduction of Muchehiwa was absolved by her party MDC Alliance following an internal inquiry into the matter.
However, Hwende has come under fire amid reports that during the investigations, Muchehiwa was not interviewed to give his side of the story, allegations he says are not true.
Mathuthu and many other social media have accused MDC Alliance of shielding Masotsha while claiming the investigation was poorly executed.
“It is not correct that our investigating team did not interview the victims. They spoke to Tawanda’s lawyers and were informed that they could not interview him because he was hospitalized out of the country.
“When the Report was presented last Tuesday the leadership directed that the committee must interview journalist (Mduduzi) @Mathuthu and the two cousins of Tawanda who were also arrested. Mr (Jameson) Timba on behalf of the Committee called @Mathuthu and he was discouraged from speaking to the cousins,” Hwende said.
However, former Cabinet Minister and G40 Kingpin, Professor Jonathan Moyo said Hwende was confusing himself due to different statements.
“Please SG. Be fair. How can you, in one breath, say it’s not correct that your investigating team did not interview the victims; and then in the next breath confirm that in fact the victims were not interviewed? Were Advent and Amandlenkosi (the other victims) also hospitalised out of the country?” he questioned.
Questioned on why he was interested in MDC Alliance issues, Professor Moyo said the abduction and torture of Muchehiwa and Masotsha’s complicity in the abduction: “Is not an MDC issue; but an atrocity and thus a human rights issue, which is everybody’s business!”
This follows reports that the G40 camp is influencing decisions in the matter with Professor Moyo allegedly leading the way to help a long-time ally, Mathuthu, who accused Hwende of fuelling the situation.
“Been through a hellish few months. MDC Alliance SG Charlton Hwende has not helped the situation. He told MDC Standing Committee last week, while defending Tendai Masotsha, that I’m pursuing a “G40 agenda” against his party.
“Confronted Hwende about this. Doesn’t deny, but says it was ‘privileged information’. He’s more concerned about how I know. I should say I never spoke convincingly about Masotsha. I wasn’t there. Didn’t know her until late at night July 30, when I heard she was there,” he said.
