MDC Alliance (MDC-A) national spokesperson Fadzayi Mahere says armed soldiers and police officers forcibly stormed party headquarters, Harvest House last night.
In a statement Mahere said security forces forcibly gained entry into the building with soldiers assaulting security personnel manning the building.
“At approximately 10pm on the 4th of June 2020, a truckload of armed soldiers and police officers assisted twenty youths to forcibly gain entry into the MDC Alliance Headquarters, Harvest House.
“The soldiers severely assaulted our security personnel who were manning the building. The youths locked themselves in the building, refusing to leave. The MDC-Alliance Secretary-General, Mr Chalton Hwende, immediately attended the scene and tried to make a police report,” said Mahere
She said the Zimbabwe Republic Police refused to take a report from the MDC-A secretary general.
“The Zimbabwe Republic Police refused to take the report and advised that he should speak to the soldiers who in turn denied the Secretary-General entry to the building. The MDC-Alliance maintains its rightful position as the occupants of Harvest House and will not allow such underhanded and patently unlawful seizure of its property.
“The use of the armed forces to settle personal squabbles must be condemned in the strongest way possible by all pro-democratic forces. This illegal seizure of property in the dead of night puts to rest all falsehoods that the recent attacks on the MDC-Alliance have been driven by an interest in constitutionalism and democracy” she said
Mahere the move by the security forces laid bare hateful and anti-freedom dynamics threatening the country politics.
“In fact, the very nature of this violent act, lays bare the malicious and anti-freedom dynamics that are threatening the very fibre of our political landscape. Under what capacity have the armed forces been deployed to Harvest House and by what provision of law are they interfering with civilian matters?
“The attempt to take-over the assets of our political party will be resisted. We are in the process of taking steps to restore possession and control of the building. Political power comes from the people. These underhanded tactics are yet another desperate attempt for power from those who were rejected by the people. We shall not be deterred from seeking the change Zimbabweans deserve.”
The takeover of the Harvest House has been viewed as a facilitation by the security forces for the rival MDC-T faction led by Thokozani Khupe to occupy the building.
