ZIMBABWE: OPPOSITION LEADER MORGAN TSVANGIRAI BLAMES NATION'S POLITICAL LEADERS FOR ESCALATION VIOLENCE IN THE COUNTRY

Record ID: 343055

  • Title: ZIMBABWE: OPPOSITION LEADER MORGAN TSVANGIRAI BLAMES NATION'S POLITICAL LEADERS FOR ESCALATION VIOLENCE IN THE COUNTRY
  • Date: 26th April 2000
  • Summary: HARARE, ZIMBABWE (APRIL 26 2000) (REUTERS) 1. WS: OPPOSITION LEADER MORGAN TSVANGIRAI SEATED AT NEWS CONFERENCE 0.04 2. SCU: (SOUNDBITE) (English) TSVANGIRAI SAYING "After twenty years of independence we should demonstrate that we are a mature democracy. We have never seen this speed of violence for the last four or five elections. Why now? It is bec
  • Embargoed: 11th May 2000 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: HARARE AND MASVINGO, ZIMBABWE
  • Country: Zimbabwe
  • Reuters ID: LVA12K8KD4Y2ALJ89PFO7UVN6JI1
  • Story Text: Zimbabwe opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai
    has blamed the nation's political leaders for the escalating
    violence in the country.He made the remark as news emerged
    that another three opposition supporters had been killed
    in clashes with President Robert Mugabe's ruling ZANU-PF party.

    The leader of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC)
    Morgan Tsvangirai told reporters on Wednesday (April 26) that
    two men were beaten to death on Tuesday (April 25) in the town
    of Kariba, about 350 km (220 miles) northwest of Harare.

    Another MDC supporter was killed in Harare on Monday night
    (April 24), he said, bringing the number of MDC followers
    killed in the last three days to five.

    "Two of our supporters were beaten ruthlessly and killed
    in Kariba on Tuesday.One other...was also beaten and killed
    in Harare on Monday night," Tsvangirai said.

    He said: "And some of the ministers and members of
    parliament actually condone that killing people is the right
    way to do this - from the vice president, from some of the
    members of parliament - we know who is involved - now we are
    taking this violence to their doorstep".

    Tsvangirai accused the government of orchestrating the
    killings to scare people ahead of forthcoming elections.

    He said: "After 20 years of independence we should
    demonstrate that we are a mature democracy.We have never seen
    this speed of violence for the last four or five elections.

    Why now? It is because they are facing the prospect of defeat.

    That is why they are resisting".

    He added that the his party could no longer be expected to
    do nothing about the violence.

    He said: "What do you want - do you want us to turn the
    other cheek as in the Bible? You are beaten on the other cheek
    - therefore you want us to turn other cheek.We are talking
    of human lives which is being lost by a deliberate action on
    the part of the state to engage in violent actions against the
    people.They've not done anything other than to hold differing
    political views.Now the question we are faced with (is) are
    we going to have free and fair elections?"
    At least 12 farmers, farm workers and opposition
    supporters have now been killed in nine weeks of escalating
    political tension in Zimbabwe, where ruling party supporters
    have occupied hundreds of white-owned farms.

    Tsvangirai made his comments as Zimbabwe's ruling party
    boycotted church-organised peace talks with the opposition on
    the country's land-grab crisis on Wednesday.

    Religious leaders had invited President Robert Mugabe's
    ZANU-PF party and the opposition Movement for Democratic
    Change (MDC) to a meeting in a new attempt to resolve the
    crisis which has seen nine people die in two months of strife.

    But no members of ZANU-PF or the self-styled veterans who
    have invaded hundreds of white-owned farms were at the
    meeting, which was attended by Tsvangirai himself.
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