Militant ruling-party supporters armed with clubs, stones and axes on Friday attacked people at a meeting called by Zimbabwe opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai, the party said in a statement.
Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) spokesperson Paul Themba Nyathi said the attack took place in the rural Zimbabwean town of Mvurwi, north of Harare, where Tsvangirai had gone to address party supporters.
About 200 ruling Zanu-PF supporters arrived at the venue and ”started stoning vehicles that were parked outside the venue of the meeting before advancing into the venue”, Nyathi said.
Tsvangirai escaped uninjured, but other supporters of his party received ”serious injuries”, and party vehicles were damaged, Nyathi said. Police were not immediately available to confirm the attack.
In February this year Tsvangirai and his wife were attacked by suspected ruling-party supporters in another small rural town south of Harare, but he escaped unhurt.
Zimbabwe is deeply divided politically, with the ruling Zanu-PF’s support base mainly in the rural areas, while the opposition support base is predominantly urban.
Earlier this week Tsvangirai, in his weekly message to the people of Zimbabwe, said he despaired of what he called the lack of ”democratic space” in the Southern African country.
”Our rights to assemble, to move around and to communicate have been severely curtailed,” he said.
The MDC entered the political stage in 2000 general elections, posing the first real challenge to Mugabe’s 20-year hold on power by taking nearly half the contested seats. — Sapa-AFP