The Zimbabwe Republic Police have launched investigations into the death of two senior Zanu PF officials in Nyatsime area of Chitungwiza with one of them alleged to have been poisoned, while the other reportedly succumbed to a stress-related illness after his house was recently burnt down after the murder of a CCC activist Moreblessing Ali
The two officials are former Manyame district chairperson Cde Tina Gweshe, who is suspected by family to have been poisoned after she attended a party last week, and Cde George Murambatsvina, the Zanu PF chairman for Nyatsime, whose house was set ablaze in Nyatsime about a fortnight ago. Cde Murambatsvina suffered stress after the event. He went viral when he banned CCC supporters from mourning Moreblessing at her homestead claiming to be a chief like elder in the community.
In an interview yesterday, national police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi said police have begun the investigations over the deaths of the two Zanu PF officials, but now needed the results of the post mortems to ascertain the causes of death.
“We are conducting investigations with a view to find out what exactly happened and we would like to urge the public to cooperate with the police,” he said. On the heavy police presence, Asst Comm Nyathi said, “There is need for police to maintain law and order especially considering what has happened and the investigations being conducted.”
Zengeza West legislator Job Sikhala and his Chitungwiza North legislator Godfrey Sithole, have since been arrested on charges of incitement to commit violence. Sikhala, who is also the CCC deputy national chairperson, and Sithole are accused of mobilising their party supporters to unleash violence in Nyatsime during a memorial service for Moreblessing Ali, who they claimed had been killed by a Zanu PF member.
Ali, who the CCC said was a supporter, was abducted outside a nightclub in Nyatsime on May 14 and her dismembered remains were discovered in a disused well at a farm in Beatrice about 10km away from where she was taken.
