Arson sets Z’bar in state of panic

Zanzibar. A thick cloud of anxiety is hanging over the residents of Pemba and Unguja , in the wake of a wave of incidents of residential houses and offices of the ruling CCM and the main opposition Civic Unite Front (CUF) being set ablaze.

The situation is literally curtain-raising repeat elections in the isles, following cancellation of the October 25 General Election by the Zanzibar Electoral Commission (ZEC).

A CCM office at Kisonge was destroyed by fire when a locally made, bomb-like device was hurled at it and detonated yesterday. People who have neither been traced nor their identity established, destroyed five CUF branch offices.

They were located at Mkanyageni, Kiwapwa, Kiuyu Miningwini , Kojani and Konowe .

Shehani regional police commander Mohammed Shehani confirmed the incidents, saying the police had launched investigations.

CUF deputy secretary general (Zanzibar) Nassor Ahmed Mazrui said they had reported the incidents to the police.

“We have nothing to do other than reporting to the police on the torching of our offices. We have done that and we are waiting for the outcome of investigations,” Mr Mazrui said.

He said his party was fed up with harassment of its members and torching of its offices.

The CUF official asked the police to do their works ethically, without fear or favour , and refrain from receiving orders from politicians and CCM leaders.

“The police are not fair. When CCM encounter such problems, they act swiftly, but when our offices are set on fire, the police react by beating up our supporters. Even when we tip off the law enforcers about planned attacks on our offices, police officers don’t take action,” he claimed.

CUF’s director of human rights in Micheweni district in Pemba, Mr Kombo Mwinyi Shehe, said the offices were badly destroyed and nothing was salvaged.

Wingi MP Juman Kombo has asked the police to pursue perpetrators of the crime which he said was creating fear and panic among residents.

Mr Kombo said it was not an easy thing to control the fire considering that it was set late at night while most residents were asleep.

“So, people could not be easily mobilised to fight the fire, and as a consequence, whatever weas in the building to burnt to ashes. It’s a big loss,” said Mr Kombo, who also doubles as the area MP. Other reports say other CUF offices at Kilimahewa in Unguja were set ablaze.

There has been an escalation of such incidents in the Isles. Last week several CUF branches at Kiboje in Kusini Unguja region were set on fire.

The incident was followed by destruction of a CCM office, by a bomb that had been set in the facility at Kisonge.