attending a feedback meeting. Section 59 of the Constitution was also violated when the
police indiscriminately assaulted members of the Occupy Africa Unity Square who were
staging a peaceful demonstration. The section clearly stipulates that every person has the
right to demonstrate and petition as long as the processes are conducted in a peaceful manner.
Highlights
It is reported that on 5 June Zanu PF youths in Epworth led an invasion at Dunstan
along Airport road. It is alleged that the Zanu PF youths were allocating stands to
Epworth residents at Dunstan where people had previously been evicted and moved to
Stone Ridge. The council had indicated that the area had been set aside for a hotel.
Epworth residents were said to have been made to pay $5 to get a stand and were
paying to a Zanu PF activist only known as ‘Mother’.
There was an annual meeting for the Johanne Masowe Goshen Apostolic Church led
by Madzibaba Biggy in ward 6 Epworth on 9 June,. It is reported that the MP for
Epworth Zalerah Makari was expected to officially open the church meeting. It is
reported that Churu and Damson Damson with other Zanu PF youths who are against
the MP assaulted the people who were going round Epworth calling for the meeting.
It is reported that Damson lost to Makari during the Zanu PF primary elections held in
2015 following the death of Amos Midzi. Makari went on to win the by election to
represent Epworth and it is believed that is the source of their rivalry.
A rally took place at Kuwadzana 5 at Parklage suburbs on 11 June. The agenda of the
meeting was to hear the way forward from the Minister of Local Government Saviour
Kasukuwere following the invasion of the Kuwadzana 5 Paddocks 3 years ago by a
consortium of cooperatives known as Western suburbs led by Tawuya Mawuka. In
attendance were other Zanu PF officials like Patrick Zhuwawo and MP for the area
Betty Kaseke. Kaseke apologized to Hon Kasukuwere on behalf of the people for
invading the paddocks and asked the Minister to let the people stay on the land as she
indicated that it might be a place to get more votes in future elections. The minister
advised the people to stay and the council to give them the required papers and start
development. The minister told people to stop invading undesignated areas. He said
the people in Kuwadzana always voted for MDC-T so they must stop that in order for
them to get more benefits. He assured people that they will get more if they did not
vote for MDC-T. Also present was Jim Kunaka who once defected to ZimPF who
announced that he was back in Zanu PF. Kunaka said he wanted to prevent opposition
political parties holding rallies in Harare to make sure all constituencies in Harare
vote for Zanu PF. He indicated he wanted to start in Budiriro where a by election was
looming. It is believed that the move to allow people to stay at the stands is to buy
votes in preparation for the 2018 elections.
Zengeza West MP, Simon Chidhakwa of the MDC-T organised a residents feedback
meeting concerning the Nyatsime stands and the local government bill on June 18.
Although the police had been notified of the meeting as required by law Zanu PF
members started playing soccer where people were seated. The Zanu PF councillor
for ward 7 Charamba Mlambo is believed have paid the Zanu PF youths to disrupt the
meeting, beat up the MP and MDC-T supporters present at the meeting. The youths
were led by the Muzuva family who are staunch Zanu PF supporters who run are
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