Garikai Fadzi
BULAWAYO – Forty-two people were injured during an assassination attempt on President Emmerson Mnangagwa in Bulawayo today.
The incident occurred after the President had just finished addressing thousands of party supporters at White City stadium.
It is alleged that an explosive was thrown on the path of the President. It, however, landed moments after he had left the stage.
Presidential Press Secretary George Charamba told the Business Times that the injured are being attended to at medical institutions in Bulawayo while a few have since been discharged.
“While initially we were looking at between eight and ten casualties; now l am told that the figure has risen to forty-two,” he said.
“It tells you that this was a place which was heavily congested, but more importantly, the person who did that dastardly act meant to cause maximum damage to our country.”
He says, the Government may soon consider taking over the security of all presidential candidates ahead of any election.
“It has to be a broad-based approach to security which encompasses everyone in the political fray so that everyone is secure because once you have any death to any of the twenty-three contestants, it has a bearing on the entire rating of the electoral process. So, l see government taking a very broad view including encompassing the security of opposition people so that we make sure that we leave no chance to such negative elements.”
The injured included Vice President Kembo Mohadi ,Zanu-PF national chairman Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri and National Political Commissar, Engelbert Rugeje.
Security services cordoned off the area around the VIP stage with the hope of trying to recreate the explosive as this will help in establishing its origin.
After the incident, President Emmerson Mnangagwa visited the injured people in hospital to offer his support before departing for Harare.
President Mnangagwa said he is not moved by the attempts on his life over the past few years and was not pointing fingers at anyone.
“The attempts have been so many. This is not the first attempt on my life. It is normal, my office was broken into six times and at one-time cyanide was sprinkled in my office,” he said.
