Seh Calaz calls for decisive action to end Mbare “...

Seh Calaz calls for decisive action to end Mbare “civil war”

Post violence scenes in Mbare. Photo credit: Seh Calaz Facebook page

Zim Now Writer

Musician Seh Calaz has used his Facebook page with over 500 thousand followers to appeal for police and political parties to stop the ongoing violence in Mbare.

“Currently there is civil war in Mbare Magaba. Yava ne 4 days. They are fighting over matables (It’s been four days now. They are fighting over control of vending space),” a post he put up in the middle of the night reads.

Seh Calaz goes on to list a litany of injuries and damages saying three people are dead, numerous others have sustained broken limbs, and vehicles have been destroyed.

However, as of yesterday police said there were reports of one possible linked death:

“One person is said to have died and we are still conducting investigations,” said national police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi yesterday.

Seh Calaz says various items including vehicles have been damaged. He also says the gangs have unleashed wholesale violence, beating up people during the day and even entering apartments at night.

Looting has also been reportedly going on with cash, mobile phones and laptops being the main target of the marauding thugs.

In his post Seh Calaz says the perpetrators are well known and wonders why the police are not just moving to arrest them and letting everyone else go about their business in peace:

“INGA YOU KN0W WHO THE CULPRITS ARE. VABATEIKA MOSIYA VAMWE VAFARE MURUNYARARO,” he wrote in capital letters.

Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi said that police officers are working on quelling the violence with 13 suspects arrested as of yesterday.

But the situation remained tense as vendors desperate for some sales after three days of no business, kept to trying to set up shop whenever it looked like there was some peace prevailing, leading to clashes between vendors and the police.

Police reportedly resorted to teargas to clear the area in order to avoid mob action and further clashes.

Seh Calaz says some occupants of the nearby flats, who include the elderly and young children have had to jump out through windows to escape assailants and the teargas.

A Zanu PF official in the area said the deceased man was a member of the party who was beaten on the head with a log on Friday by CCC assailants and died in hospital yesterday as a result of the injuries.

CCC officials have not yet commented on the matter.

According to sources on the ground tension has been simmering in Mbare area for a few weeks with CCC party members wanting to wrestle control of the open market space. Mbare has long been a Zanu PF stronghold with members of that party controlling vending space.

City Of Harare seems to be powerless to stop the space barons. After COH put up a wire mesh fence to keep vendors out of the open space near Rufaro Stadium, the vendors simply set up outside the perimeter of the fence and went about their business.

“Council is set to construct modern markets for vendors across the city with the planning stages expected to be completed by month end. We want to construct proper and modern structures for our people to ensure that when rains come they will be sheltered.

“The planning process must be done starting this month and we hope that by year-end these markets will be finished. We want to do away with the cat-and-mouse games with the vendors,” said Harare City Council spokesperson Mr Innocent Ruwende.

But this has been the story for many years and people do not expect much from the local authority.

A resident in the flats who refused to be named says this is definitely political violence and therefore needs political resolution.

“There have been skirmishes from as far back as August. The police have had to come in a few times. But this time it has gotten out of hand and we need proper resolution. Otherwise death by violence is going to be a daily happening around here. Vana vachapedzisira vave kusvetuka zvitunha muroad vachienda kuchikoro. (The kids will end up just jumping over corpses on their way to school,” he said.

Seh Calaz’s post seems to confirm that angle as he pleads with the leadership of unnamed two parties to talk things through and “make peace with the police””

“Ndakumbira rubatsiro kune maleaders emapato maviri aya garai pasi mugadzirisane and make peace with the police, put an end to this please,” he wrote.

At this point the residents of Mbare and the whole nation can only join Seh Calaz’s call for the political parties to rein in their members before the situation escalates further.

“Haa Mirai Izvozvo Mhani!” says Seh Calaz.