Independent candidate for Mwenezi West parliamentary election Tafadzwa Shumba says men who hijacked and later torched his car Wednesday were driving a vehicle belonging to political nemesis and poll challenger Priscilla Zindari Moyo, wife to Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) director general Isaac Moyo.
Shumba’s white Toyota GD6 was hijacked at gunpoint by three suspected state agents in Mwenezi West at an area between Tsungirirai Secondary School and Chirindi Township around 9pm on Wednesday.
The vehicle was reduced to a shell and later dumped at a nearby mountain near Madhakiwe dam.
In an interview, Shumba narrated how his vehicle was carjacked and later burnt in a suspected case of political sabotage.
“My vehicle was hijacked at gunpoint at Tsungirirai (Secondary school) by several state agents who were driving Priscilla Moyo’s silver Toyota GD6,” Shumba said.
“Before the incident, state agents were driving around in Mwenezi looking and asking over my whereabouts in Chirindi township.
“When they finally located my vehicle which was in the possession of my driver at the time, I am very sure they immediately assumed I was the one in the vehicle.
“They fired gunshots before carjacking my vehicle and driving away.
“We later found the car some 30 minutes later, burnt down to a shell.”
Shumba, the eldest son of late former deputy education Minister Isaiah Masvayamwando Shumba, was forced to contest the August 23 election as an independent candidate after losing to his rival in chaotic Zanu PF primary elections in which he claimed he had been rigged.
A disgruntled Shumba wrote to Zanu PF’s National Electorate Directorate (NED) then, accusing the CIO boss of deploying his subordinate identified as Madhura to manipulate the electoral process in favour of his wife.
Shumba said the internal party poll was marred by violence and also accused Madhura of tampering with Zanu PF cell registers in favour of his rival.
He further claimed Madhura had been driving in Mrs Moyo’s vehicle to cause mayhem in the poll.
Commenting on Wednesday’s attack, Shumba said, “This incident will not deter me from my election campaign, I will continue campaigning on foot, bicycle and carts”.
He added, “This election is now between the CIO and me, but I am not afraid and will finish Priscilla Moyo on the ballot box come August 23.”
— ZimLive
