Zimbabweans from across the political divide have condemned the violent attacks and insults on MDC-T leader Thokozani Khupe during the party’s chaotic Extra Ordinary Congress held in Harare yesterday.
Khupe was a victim of insults at the expense of party supporters with one supporter slapping her as she walked out of the Congress venue in protest against what she said a fraudulent process.
Former Education Minister David Coltart writing on twitter said the act was unacceptable and should be unanimously condemned.
“The verbal and physical assault of Thoko Khupe is unacceptable and should be universally condemned. Whatever one thinks of the political shenanigans this should never happen.” Coltart said
MDC Alliance national spokesperson said party members had no right to beat and insult her because of her opinions.
“It’s undeniable that yesterday was a political farce of unimaginable proportions. Zanu PF has failed to destroy the MDC Alliance. Yet even though Madam Khupe is on the wrong side of history, her party members had no right to beat her and call her ‘hure” said Mahere
Political analyst Dr. Pedzisai Ruhanya also took to twitter to condemn the barbaric attack on Khupe.
“You don’t have to support Khupe but her attack must be condemned by all human rights and democratic activists. Khupe is a human being with human rights and human dignity. I am with her against any form of violence. We must condemn violence against her.
“You can’t be a human rights activist, support democratic causes if you think the attacks against Thokozani Khupe is alright. Shame on such thinking. It’s shallow and foolish. Condemn all forms of violence especially violence against women.” wrote Dr. Ruhanya
Human Rights pressure group Zimbabwe Peace Project (ZPP) said the attack on Khupe was a deliberate attack on women’s participation in politics.
“In some of the scenes of violence, some of the congress delegates can be seen physically and verbally assaulting one of the MDC-T presidential contestants @DrThoko Khupe & her supporters in what is a deliberate and open attack on women’s participation in politics as a whole.
“ZPP is concerned about the growing pattern where women are physically and verbally assaulted, and called all sorts of derogatory names for being participants and activists in politics and if not nipped, this threatens women’s participation in all leadership positions.
“ZPP believes peaceful political contestation – as espoused in our Constitution – is the only progressive way to ensuring everyone, regardless of sex, ethnicity, tribe, and age, get their fair chances to use their constitutionally guaranteed rights to participate in politics,” said ZPP
In 2018 at the burial of the late founding party president Morgan Tsvangirai, Khupe was a victim of the same violence with party youths threatening to burn a hut in which she had taken refuge.
