MDC Alliance has claimed that riot police surrounded Budiroro suburb, Harare following the party leader, Nelson Chamisa’s visit to victims of house demolitions by Harare City Council.
Chamisa toured the suburb together with Harare Mayor Councillor Jacob Mafume, MDC Alliance Chairperson of Harare Province Hon Chikombo and a number of other party leaders.
They condemned the demolitions which they said were inhumane and ill-timed. Posting on social media, MDC Alliance said:
Riot @PoliceZimbabwe have mobbed the site of demolitions in Budiriro where President @nelsonchamisa and Mayor @JMafume are visiting the victims of the demolitions. They seized the recording equipment of journalists. We condemn this attempt to cover up this human rights crisis.
Prominent journalist and filmmaker, Hopewell Chin’ono described the police gesture as a strategy to conceal what transpired in the suburb. He said:
They don’t want the world to know the truth that is why they are taking recording machines from journalists! They don’t want the world to see their cruelty, let journalists do their work!
Both MDC Alliance and the ruling ZANU PF are blaming each other over the ongoing demolitions of structures which were allegedly on the illegally acquired land.
Earlier, some stakeholders asked responsible authorities to delay the demolitions while some called for the regularisation of the structures saying the victim will be the land seeker who was duped of money and is now losing the property and other resources.
More: MDC Alliance Twitter