...AfricaWinsAgain
Posted on 06/17/2008 8:28:37 PM PDT by blam
Mugabe mob kidnaps wife and child of MDC mayor of Harare
By Peta Thornycroft in Harare
Last Updated: 11:44PM BST 17/06/2008
President Robert Mugabe's onslaught against his opponents widened to include their families when the wife and child of the mayor of Harare were abducted. Armed men raided the house of Emmanuel Chiroto, a senior member of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change and recently elected mayor.
They burned down the house with petrol bombs and kidnapped his wife, Abigail, 27, and their four-year-old son, Ashley. The boy was released a few hours later, but Mrs Chiroto is still missing.
The incident bore all the hallmarks of a state-organised operation designed to break the MDC's organisation by targeting its key figures. Five of the MDC's local organisers have been murdered.
But Mr Chiroto was not at home when the men arrived. The signs were that the operation was deliberately aimed at his family. "They came in two un-marked pick-ups," said Mr Chiroto, 43. "The maid escaped out the back and heard two bangs. I think it was petrol bombs. The house went up in flames and they took my wife and son. My wife was screaming."
Both Mrs Chiroto and Ashley had been staying away from the house, fearing that it would be attacked by Mr Mugabe's Zanu-PF party. They had returned to the home in the township of Hatcliffe shortly before the raid took place. "She had been at our house for an hour so they were watching it," said Mr Chiroto.
But kidnapping a child does not seem to have entered the gang's plan. Ashley was dropped off by unknown people at a Harare police station a few hours later.
Mr Chiroto said: "He told us 'mummy was blindfolded and they took her to the bush, I don't know whether she was alive or dead'."
Harare is an MDC stronghold and the party won 45 of the 46 seats on the city council in the elections held in March. But Ignatius Chombo, the local government minister, refused to allow the councillors formally to take office. They are still banned from entering Harare's city hall.
Mr Chiroto was elected mayor of the city by his fellow MDC councillors during an informal meeting on Sunday.
Many MDC officials have been abducted since early May. Most were later murdered. Many others are still unaccounted for.
Mr Chiroto fears that his wife may have been killed.
At least 60 political murders have been recorded since the presidential election's first round in March. The wave of violence has driven about 50,000 people from their homes.
Mr Mugabe faced rare criticism from a fellow African leader when Raila Odinga, the prime minister of Kenya, described Zimbabwe as "an eyesore on the African continent".
Mr Odinga also said that the presidential election run-off next week involving Mr Mugabe and Morgan Tsvangari, the MDC leader, had been "pre-rigged".
Zim Ping.
I really hope somebody takes this POS out soon.
And that's saying something. An eyesore on an eyesore.
Majority rule has worked out so well, hasn’t it?
I have said it before and shall say it again: Mugabe is a disease in need of a cure.
Maybe the UN can send another envoy. That will solve everything.
Bastards!
Ceaucescu Ending
Bump
I bet that there are people in Zimbabwe who wished that nasty whitey were running things in that country. Bunch of racists.
It wouldn’t matter even if someone did.
Mugabe is just the tip of the rotten iceberg. The entire ZANU-PF leadership is made up of self-serving thugs who are just as bad, and who have everything to lose of MDC gains power, so they will make sure it doesn’t happen.
Barring an invasion by a third country or a coalition of countries which would have to impose colonial rule, there will not be improvement in Zimbabwe in your lifetime.
ZANU-PF has made it perfectly clear that they are willing to kill anyone who gets in their way, and burn the country down to bedrock if necessary to retain power.
No doubt, Jammah Cahtah is monitoring it all and proclaiming that every little thing is just “peachy keen.” No signs of Republicans mucking things up. No rabbits around either.
What a ridiculous suggestion!! Everyone knows that all the UN has to do is wag their fingers at Mugabe, add a few “Tsk! Tsk!”s and issue a few waste of time resolutions and BAM! He’ll be peeing in his pants in fear of the UN and will miraculously change his behavior from dictator to beloved leader overnight!!!
It’s worked before, right? *cough*SADDAM*cough*
Right?!?
[crickets chirping LOUDLY]
/sarc
Nothing to add to that very, very accurate post, so I’ll just BTT.
BIGOTS!
How dare you be critical of an African “elected” leader!!!!
Africa is for Africans and they are entitled to run their African nations as they damned well wish — without racist criticism from us......
Those ass clowns do such a fine job when entrusted with positions of power and public trust -— we’re very close to electing one of our own to lead the Republic...
< /sarcasm>
Lord help us!
The opposition MDC has some very brave people in it but likely to no avail. We are looking at a "new Burma" with Mugabe's generals. Damn shame.
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