ED mourns 2-year-old NPF boy killed by Zanu-PF activists in Mazowe North

Mnangagwa orders police to arrest murderers in his own party

President Emmerson Mnangagwa has sent a message of condolences to the Lumbe family following the horrific murder of two-year old boy Professor Lumbe in Greendale, Mazowe North, on Saturday by Zanu-PF activists.

“I am shocked and appalled by the horrific murder of two-year old Professor Lumbe this weekend in Glendale. My sympathy, thoughts and prayers are with Professor’s parents, Rambai and Nomatter, and the entire family in this difficult time,” said President Mnangagwa.

President Mnangagwa said such wanton acts of violence cannot be tolerated, let alone against children, adding that “society must categorically reject all violence”.

The President has instructed the police to urgently investigate this heinous crime to bring to justice the perpetrators.

The two-year-old boy named Professor Lumbe was reportedly abducted and brutally killed by suspected Zanu PF activists at the weekend after his father Rambai Lumbe defected to the opposition National People’s Party (NPP) where he is Mazowe North parliamentary candidate.

Lumbe’s father has been harassed and threatened with death by Zanu-PF thugs since 2014.

“My son, Professor went missing on Saturday afternoon, but was only found dead by some kids harvesting soya beans on Sunday. This came as no surprise considering that we are living in a politically-charged environment where I receive a number of threats on my family,” Lumbe said.

“There are a number of cases where Zanu PF activists came and threatened me saying I was not a member of Zanu PF anymore, so I didn’t deserve to stay on the land that I was given by Zanu PF. I was told clearly that my involvement in opposition politics endangers my family.

“I started receiving threats in 2014 when I joined the then ZimPF (Mujuru’s first opposition party). At one point, Zanu PF youths came to my plot and tried partitioning it amongst themselves claiming since I was in opposition politics, I was supposed to leave. Their warning was straight-forward that I was putting my family in danger and I was supposed to make a choice,” he said.

NPF is backed by former Zimbabwe presiden Mr Robert Mugabe and his wife Grace.

Last week three members of their party allegedly lost their lives after being ambushed by Zanu-PF machete gangs in Kwekwe.