Harare – Zimbabwe’s main opposition on Wednesday claimed its leader Nelson Chamisa had survived a second attempt on his life in 10 days after a bullet ripped through his car window.
Tendai Biti, vice president of the Movement for Democratic Change Alliance (MDC-Alliance), said live rounds were fired at Chamisa’s convoy in the eastern border town of Mutare on Tuesday.
“An unlawful ambush was mounted. Guns were fired and one of the bullets actually whisked in the left rear seat where he normally sits,” Biti told a news conference in Harare.
He said Chamisa’s convoy was tailed by a dozen unmarked vehicles prior to the attack.
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Last week the party said a convoy of cars in which Chamisa was travelling was pelted with rocks by suspected ruling ZANU-PF party supporters in the southern city of Masvingo.
Biti said Zanu-PF was “behind these unlawful attacks on our president”.
“They are upping the gear, they are upping the ante because they are more afraid of 2023” general elections, he added.
Political tensions are rising in Zimbabwe in the run-up to those elections, when Chamisa, 43, is expected to mount his second challenge for the country’s top job against President Emmerson Mnangagwa, 79.
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Late last month, 19 people – including 10 journalists – were arrested during a protest in front of the electoral commission in Harare, where preparations were under way for the second presidential poll since Robert Mugabe was deposed in a coup in 2017.
The political clashes come as UN Rapporteur Alena Douhan, at Harare’s invitation, began a visit to Zimbabwe to investigate the impact of sanctions imposed by the US and EU over rights abuses allegations.
Zanu-PF claimed that the opposition was playing up the alleged attacks to attract sympathy.
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Picture: Getty Images
Source: AFP
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