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The attempt to assassinate President Emmerson Mnangagwa at White City Stadium in Bulawayo on Saturday is a cowardly act that must be condemned by all peace-loving Zimbabweans. The country has been enjoying peace since the coming in of the new dispensation led by Cde Mnangagwa.

The campaigns have been peaceful throughout making us believe that Zimbabweans had taken heed of President Mnangagwa’s call for peaceful campaigns.

The bomb blast at White City Stadium which left 41 people injured including senior party and Government officials shocked the nation which has not witnessed such an incident since independence.

Among the injured are Vice President Kembo Mohadi, Zanu-PF national chairperson Cde Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri and Vice President Constantino Chiwenga’s wife, Mary Chiwenga. Preliminary indications are that an explosive device was lobbed towards President Mnangagwa in an attempt to kill him as he left the stadium after the rally.

Most of those injured are senior party and Government officials as well as close security personnel who were escorting Cde Mnangagwa.

The President escaped unhurt and he managed to visit those admitted at different hospitals soon after the incident. Zimbabwe which has received accolades from across the globe for the prevailing peace ahead of the elections does not deserve what happened at White City Stadium.

There is a need for thorough investigations so that the culprits behind the Saturday bombing are brought to book. We need to expose those behind this cowardly act meant to cause alarm and despondence among the people. Different political parties have been holding rallies throughout the country and the campaigns have been peaceful.

What is clear from the Saturday incident is that we still have pockets of resistance to the new dispensation and decisive action should be taken to flush out these undesirable elements.

Commenting on the Saturday incident, President Mnangagwa said the ruling party Zanu-PF and Government will not allow the cowardly act to get in the way as the country moves towards elections.

He said the people should continue to be united and address their differences peacefully. “The strongest response to violence is peace and the strongest response to hate is love,” said Cde Mnangagwa.

We want to once again call upon the police and other security organs to leave no stone unturned in their search for the culprits who must be removed from our midst.

Government and the ruling party Zanu-PF‘s pledge to hold free, fair and credible elections is under threat as a result of these undesirable elements who relish chaos and disorder in order to discredit the elections.