Rogue War vets leader Jabulani Sibanda was on Saturday taken to task by MDC-T legislators for sowing seeds of discord in the country

Midway through a fiery speech at Chief Nhema's area in Zaka, the militant Sibanda had to abandon his address when eight MDC-T MPs from Masvingo told him he was 'out of order' and a danger to society.

The eight MP's were part of a group of officials from the MDC-T party who included members of the provincial executive who were at the meeting. Chief Nhema, under instructions from Sibanda, called for the meeting, threatening villagers he would fine them $10 each if they failed to attend. Almost 2000 villagers attended out of fear.

But unknown to the war vets leader was the presence of the MDC-T MPs and party officials mingling with the crowds.

'As soon as he took to the podium, we (MPs) went to the top table introduced ourselves and sat down to listen to his speech. This was a feedback meeting which had nothing to do with politics. The chief did not mention ZANU PF or MDC when he forced people to attend the meeting,' MDC-T MP for Zaka North Ernest Mudavanhu said.

Matters came to a head when Sibanda started denouncing Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai and the MDC. This did not go down well with the villagers who started walking away.

Sibanda was forced to leave the stage and took refuge in his vehicle after which his motorcade drove off. At his next venue he found other MDC-T officials waiting for him and he called off the meeting.

'Instead of using such an occasion to build bridges, we find ourselves fighting a small number of people like Sibanda, instigating division among Zimbabweans,' the MP added.

He is reportedly criss-crossing the length and breadth of the province intimidating people into supporting ZANU PF, ahead of an impending referendum to either accept or reject a draft constitution.

At other meetings in Zaka, Sibanda reportedly told villagers that he had been 'sent to warn all sell-outs in the area that ZANU PF is ready to kill them' if they fail to join his party before campaigns for next elections have begun.

'At one of the meetings he told villagers ZANU PF will kill more people than they did in 2008. When we stopped him in his tracks at Chief Nhema he had started threatening and intimidating villagers of the consequences of supporting the MDC. We have all what he said on record,' Mudavanhu said.

Meanwhile villagers from Gutu central were beaten up over the weekend for attending the burial of the late MDC-T district organising secretary, Ruka Chiseva, who succumbed to injuries he sustained in the violent June presidential elections run-off in 2008.

The MDC-MP for the area, Oliver Chirume, said some of the villagers sustained serious injuries and were admitted to Gutu mission hospital where they are getting treatment.

'People who attended the funeral of our late official are being tormented by ZANU PF youths and war veterans. They pounced on about ten members at their homestead and asked them why they were at the funeral while they had been warned not to attend,' Chirume told Newsday. -

By SW radio