Staff Reporter
ZANU PF Mutare Central parliamentary candidate Esau Mupfumi has been flagged by the opposition Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) party over violence and electoral malpractices.
Opposition CCC Manicaland provincial spokesperson David Panganayi said Esau Mupfumi was behind an orgy of violent campaigns targeting the party’s candidate for the constituency Brian James who is also former Mutare mayor.
Panganayi said by being involved in the violence through sponsoring the hit squad, Mupfumi must be found guilty of violating the ZEC code of conduct and face disqualification from contesting on 23 August elections.
ZEC’s Code of Conduct in paragraph 5 stipulates that, “No political party or any of its members or supporters, and no candidate, any of his or her supporters and no stakeholders may— (a) use violence, or threaten violence or incite or encourage the use of violence, “against anyone on account of his or her political opinions or membership or support of a political party or participation in the election; (b) intimidate, or incite or encourage the intimidation, of anyone on account of his or her political opinions or membership or support of a political party; or act in a way that may provoke violence or intimidation;”
Panganayi revealed that last Saturday, Mupfumi hired thugs to camp at a venue in Sakubva where the CCC wanted to hold its Mutare constituency campaign launch.
“The thugs started cooking at the venue and doing all sorts of things that were meant to disrupt our gathering and we ended up not meeting there.
“We saw Esau Mupfumi driving to the venue where the thugs had gathered in order to give them morale support.
“We cannot mistaken anyone for leading the violence in Mutare Central and we know it is Esau Mupfumi because he is using his resources to sponsor the thugs,” he said.
Panaganayi took a swipe on police in Mutare for failing to arrest Mupfumi.
“We have made several police reports against him over several crimes during this campaign period but we are not happy with the conduct of the police.
“For example, we were disrupted at the venue for our campaign launch which was just 20 meters from Sakubva police station.
“The police could not do anything and they just watched while the rented crowd organized by Mupfumi was disrupting our intended meeting. They were singing and cooking at our venue and the police could not do anything,” said Panganayi.
Sitting Mutare Central MP Innocent Gonese said campaigns must be peaceful but the actions of Mupfumi were turning them into chaos.
“The campaign launch had been approved by the police. We had duly notified the police but Esau Mupfumi came with his people and gathered at our venue to cause chaos. He sponsored hundreds of Zanu PF thugs to come and disrupt the launch,” he said.
Gonese also said that Mupfumi has gone beyond violence to employ racist tactics against James.
“Soon after the sitting of the nomination court, Mupfumi produced a short video which circulated among people in Mutare where he was openly saying we do not want white people to become leaders in the constituency which was in apparent reference to Brian James. It is something that we do not expect from a parliamentary candidate because racism should not be allowed in our society,” said Gonese.
Mupfumi, who is married to Roselyn is a Rhodesian British South Africa (BSAP) trained ex police constable who made his fortunes in the transport industry after it was deregulated by government in the 1990s.
His sons Simba and Nyasha and his daughter Rutendo are studying and living in Netherlands and United Kingdom and are enjoying the rights which their father deny others in Zimbabwe.
Esau Mupfumi is notorious in Mutare for violence on his workers and citizens who crosses his path.
He enjoys protection from senior police officers and CIOs that he pampers with gifts. His violent behavior has also traumatized his family as narrated by his young brother Peter Mugove in December last year.
Mugove who spent 6 months in custody, was arrested by the police at the orders of Esau Mupfumi for confronting him against his iron fist behavior on the family and ritual practices which has torn the family apart.
Mupfumi’s untoward behaviour has since triggered a social media storm where supporters of Saviour Kasukwere are now threatening to ambush him at his residence. The Kasukuwere campaign has also become the latest victim of his violent behavior after they gathered information that he had sent thugs to remove Kasukuwere billboard in Mutare.
“Esau Mupfumi you are defacing our billboards. This is your home, we will meet you here,” reads one of the posts on microbloging site Twitter with a photo of his house entrance.
Mutare Central has been a stronghold of the opposition since 2008.
The CCC 23 August parliamentary candidate James said it was unfair for his opponent to resort to violence.
He chronicled that on top of the party’s official launch of its campaign being disrupted, the same trend happened at another event organised by Masvingo media house TellZim which had invited all candidates for a debate.
“All the violence cases against Mupfumi have been reported to the police and the RRB numbers have been recorded. We are now waiting for the police to take action. Unfortunately, as for now, no action has been taken,” he said
About Author
