On Thursday night youths aligned with the MDC-T led by Thokozani Khupe seized the MDC Alliance’s headquarters with the military’s assistance.
The hostile takeover, which was effected in the dead of the night, came as a surprise since it was unprecedented for security forces to evict tenants from a private building.
Zimbabweans took to Twitter to express their views on the nocturnal takeover of the MDC Alliance’s offices.
Below are some of the comments gleaned from the microblogging social media site:
Jealousy Mawarire: When the army intervened in what was an internal Zanu-PF issue, the MDC abetted it & became a willing accomplice now look at what they’re doing to the MDC. Some of us called out this army involvement in party politics & were called names. We were told we were bitter & anti-development.
Mmatigari: Explain this to me. @hwendec and his colleagues trashed the MDC and claim they formed a new party called MDC Alliance in their own words. Why should they keep on holding onto MDC assets: cars, offices, furniture, etc?
Alex Magaisa: In Zimbabwe, the opposition party’s headquarters have been forcibly & unlawfully taken over by a rival faction with the assistance of members of the military. The police stood by and did nothing. The systematic dismantling of Zimbabwe’s main opposition continues unabated.
Team Pachedu: The takeover of MDC HQ by the military is a piece of additional evidence that @DMwonzora and his unelectable nonentities are just an extension of ZANU-PF – fake opposition.
Alexander Rusero: When they visit courts, Harvest will be returned to its rightful owners. There will be a celebration that justice has prevailed, rendering “Captured Courts” Mantra inconsistent. Then after that, another drama unfolds and another and another till 2023. I rest my case!
Tendai Biti: Emmerson has sunk to a new low even by his own low standards. The violent take over of our Head Office, MRT House by the military & police is abuse & capture of State Institutions. We don’t accept this and will do everything in our power. We are sick & tired of being sick & tired
Pedzisai Ruhanya: Today 5 June 2020 Zanu PF publicly told the world that there is no rule of law and respect for property rights in Zimbabwe. These are internally induced sanctions against Zimbabwe by ZANU PF.
MDC HQ is owned by a company called Harvest House owned by Trustees. Those trustees rent the building to whoever they want. Khupe and Mwonzora’s MDC-T lease agreement expired in Dec 2019 and they entered into a 20-year lease agreement with MDC Alliance. Simple!
US Embassy: We are dismayed by the politicized use of security forces to take over the headquarters of an opposition party and arrest its members. A healthy democracy requires healthy opposition parties.
Nkululeko Sibanda: This is how scared the regime is of President Chamisa @nelsonchamisa. He will, however, emerge out of this attempted coup, much stronger and with better resolution.
Davis Laque: #Mwonzora shall one day have to explain how soldiers, who are only legally deployed by their #CIC for reasons well articulated in the “#constitution that he wrote” (whatever that means), ended up at #MTHouse! Why is #StateSecurity interested in their takeover of #MRTHouse?
ZCTU Zimbabwe: De facto One Party State in the making using the army and police as well as some yesteryear opposition leaders? As a principle, we abhor a One Party State and workers will never support those creating for it and those being used to achieve it.
Stanley Gama: Mwonzora the way you are using Zanu PF and the state machinery to try and deliver the MDC’s over 2 million votes to Zanu PF will backfire. You betray the people all because you have been promised a ministerial post in the so-called unity govt they say you will be part of?
Brezh Malaba: In the dead of night, the MDC headquarters, Morgan Tsvangirai House in central Harare, has been taken over by soldiers. The police have refused to intervene after being asked by MDC-Alliance secretary-general Chalton Hwende to talk to the soldiers.
David Coltart: This act is a betrayal of all that Morgan Tsvangirai, Gibson Sibanda and all our late MDC heroes stood for. Madam Khupe and Messrs Mwonzora, Komichi and those few former MDC colleagues who side with them should hang their heads in shame.