A hearing on the Private Voluntary Organization (PVO) Bill was abandoned at Harare’s Ambassador Hotel after ZANU PF supporters threatened a lone woman who said she opposed the Bill.
The ZANU PF supporters turned violent and started singing ‘vasingade ngavabude muZimbabwe. Bill redu torida muZimbabwe.
Executive Director at Centre for Natural Resource Governance and Doctoral Student at Wits School of Governance, Farai Maguwu who was at the meeting narrates:
“Riot Police had to be called to New Ambassador Hotel to disperse rowdy rented crowd hired to disrupt the parliamentary hearing on PVO Bill.
“The thugs were chanting Bill iri Huchi until a young lady spoke saying the bill need to be revised bcoz the Minister is given too much power.
“The crowd started drowning the voice of the young lady by singing asingadi ngaabude MuZimbabwe. This forced the Chair of the committee to call off the public hearing.
“The thugs then started singing as they walked out. They gathered at the hotel entrance where they started singing.
“Some of the people in the crowd were women clad in Johane Masowe Wechishanu regalia who appeared lost and not interested in the debate.
“Addressing themselves as Honorable before speaking, the thugs said they had come from Mufakose and Epworth. It was very sorry sight.”
Apparently, the same bill hearing ended badly in Masvingo recently as violence erupted during its hearing.
Fighting erupted at the Charles Austin Theatre in Masvingo, where the PVO Bill public hearing was taking place.
ZANU PF allegedly mobilised hundreds of supporters to railroad the process, much to the displeasure of other attendees.
Zwnews
