GUTU – Well known artist and member of the Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace (CCJP), Abel Mauchi was attacked and seriously injured by a Zanu PF activist on Friday after he allegedly refused to surrender his BVR serial number.
CCJP director, Fr Richard Pundo confirmed the incident and said he was still gathering information on the incident. He urged Government to conduct free, fair and peaceful elections in the country.
Although he declined to give further details, The Mirror is reliably informed that CCJP has engaged its lawyer Collen Maboke to deal with the matter. The Mirror had by the time of going to Print also established that Maboke was at Gutu Mission Hospital where Mauchi was admitted to gather details on his injuries.
Mauchi of Gono Village under Chief Makore in Gutu was attacked soon after arriving back home from Jerera Growth Point in Zaka where he had gone to attend a CCJP workshop.
Poet Abel Mauchi was thumped by a Zanu PF thug after he refused to reveal the serial number of his voter registration slip.
CCJP is currently involved in human rights campaigns and voter education. The campaigns are carried out through CCJP committees found at every Roman Catholic parish. Mauchi whose poetry performances took social media by storm is the vice chairman at St Xavier Gono Parish.
Efforts to get a comment from the Police were futile.
However Mauchi told The Mirror in a telephone interview that on arriving at Man’ga Business Centre on his way home he met Mutora Musiiwa, a well known Zanu PF activist who demanded his BVR serial number and he refused with it arguing that the former’s demands were illegal.
“Musiiwa followed me on my way home and attacked me with booted feet. I was taken to Gutu Mission Hospital after two days when I could no longer walk. I suffered a cracked rib,” said Mauchi.
Efforts to get a comment from Musiiwa were fruitless.
Mauchi alleged that Musiiwa is a Zanu PF ghost worker who is on Government payroll and earns the same salary as a teacher.
He also alleged that Musiiwas conducted a meeting of villagers during his absence where he collected all BVR serial numbers.
“There was a meeting that was held at Mutendeuri Primary School where Musiiwa and his colleagues collected BVR serial numbers from villagers. My wife and son are among those who surrendered their serial numbers to Musiiwa. When he approached me, he said my serial number was outstanding in his list,” said Mauchi.-Mirror
