Several get injured as CCM, Chadema supporters clash

Handeni. Several people were injured after supporters of the opposition Chadema and the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi at Kwenjugo Ward in Handeni District engaged in a fight following a row over a meeting venue.

Chadema supporters claimed that their CCM rivals interfered with their schedule for holding a meeting.

The fight broke out following fierce arguments after Chadema supporters demanded to to know why CCM members were “interfering” with their activities.

Kwenjugo Ward’s Amani CCM Branch secretary, Mr Mashaka Abdu, said his party was holding a meeting in one of the classrooms of Kwenjugo Primary School when five people came in cars waving Chadema flags, something that was construed as a provocation.Thereafter, he said, the “intruders” entered the classroom and demanded to know the purpose of the meeting, whereby leaders from both parties sat together and discussed the matter.

Mr Abdu said when they were still in discussions, other people emerged and locked them from outside. He added that as arguments on this situation escalated and the need for whoever locked the door to open it, tension grew pitting those who were inside and those who were outside.

The Amani CCM branch secretary went on to explain that when they saw people fighting outside they had to ask for the door to be opened and it soon was.

It was soon discovered that the ward elect-councillor Twaha Mgaya had been injured on the head and face, apparetly having been hit with a heavy object. He was bleeding.

The ward UWT chairperson Fatuma Juma was also complaining that she had been injured follwing a beating he received at the scene.

Mr Jadi Bamba, chairman of Chadema in Handeni District, said the source of the trouble was the fact that Chadema had wanted to know why CCM interfered with his party’s schedules on that day as CCM didn’t have any business at Kwenjugo Ward on that day.

Mr Leonard Bahweje, a Chadema official said that this was the third time their schedule collided with that of CCM.

However, Handeni District CCM Secretary Salehe Kikweo said the meeting that was being held at the Kwenjugo Ward was not about a campaign but it was a mere meeting of ward leaders and the councillor.

It was not for their parliamentary seat aspirants, he said, adding that they were also respecting schedules as during the fateful day their aspirant was campaigning at Mdoe and Malezi wards, not at Kwenjugo.