Suspected Zanu PF Activists Attack MDC-T Officials' Business, HomeSuspected Zanu PF activists have set on fire a business belonging to vice president Elias Mudzuri of the Movement for Democratic Change led by Morgan Tsvangirai (MDC-T) and vandalized a house occupied by an MDC-T councilor in Harare in what the party says is a resurgence of politically-motivated violence ahead of the 2018 general elections. According to MDC-T activists, the attack Mudzuri’s bar and MDC-T Ward 38 councillor Wilton Janjazi’s house were attacked early Wednesday. Property worth thousands of dollars went up in smoke. The opposition party has condemned the attack as a barbaric move meant to intimidate MDC-T supporters currently campaigning for the forthcoming general polls. Police were not yet available for comment. In a statement, the MDC-T said it is deeply disturbed and concerned about the recent spate of “thuggery and banditry” taking place in and around the country, particularly in the capital city, Harare. “Only last week, an Isuzu pick-up truck belonging to the MDC Youth Assembly was torched at a car park in Kuwadzana by suspected Zanu PF thugs. As if this was not enough evidence of Zanu PF–inspired thuggery and violence, on Tuesday night, July 18, 2017, Vice President Elias Mudzuri’s Dandaro bar in Harare was set alight by arsonists whom we strongly suspect to be Zanu PF thugs. On the same night, Councilor Janjazi’s house in Kuwadzana was also attacked and torched by armed thugs and arsonists. “No rocket science is needed to conclude that these savage and thuggish criminal activities are orchestrated by Zanu PF thugs and agents as the country approaches the make or break 2018 elections. The Zanu PF regime is cornered, deeply fractured, incorrigibly factionalised and crumbling. The regime is facing a crushing and humiliating defeat at next year’s elections.”\n\nThe MDC-T claimed that in typical Zanu PF fashion,” the regime has resorted to its default mode of violence, thuggery and banditry. The armed men and arsonists who attacked VP Mudzuri’s bar and vandalised Cllr. Janjazi’s house in Kuwadzana are, without a shadow of doubt, State agents. These thugs threatened residents at a nearby car park in Kuwadzana before proceeding to embark on their orgy of arson and banditry. It is through the grace of God that no one was injured or killed as these ruthless thugs embarked on their senseless spree of State – sponsored savagery.”\n\nThe party noted that it is a peace–loving and law–abiding social democratic political party, which remains disciplined and focused in the face of immense provocation and “wanton criminal attacks by Zanu PF hoodlums and thugs. “We have resolutely resisted the temptation to fight violence with violence, thuggery with thuggery. But then, the crumbling and faction–infested Zanu PF regime shouldn’t take our discipline and focus as a sign of weakness. Far from it! There will come a time when peace–loving citizens of Zimbabwe shall be left with no other viable alternative but to defend themselves from the orgy of banditry and thuggery that is being perpetrated by Zanu PF thugs.” About 200 MDC supporters were killed, thousands maimed and others displaced when Zanu PF activists allegedly unleashed an orgy of violence in the 2008 presidential election re-run. Tsvangirai, who defeated President Robert Mugabe in the first round, dropped out of the election race due to violence.