Chadema Information and Publicity secretary John Mnyika addresses journalists in Dar es Salaam yesterday.
Dar es Salaam/Morogoro. With Chadema contending the commission formed by the Home Affairs minister to investigate the death of the Morogoro businessman, results of postmortem released yesterday show that the man did not die of bullet wound.
As the Chadema information and publicity secretary, Mr John Mnyika, told reporters yesterday that the opposition party had no trust with Dr Emmanuel Nchimbi’s team because police might have a hand in the death of Mr Ally Zona, the Morogoro regional police commander, Mr Faustine Shilogile, told reporters yesterday that the businessman died after being hit by a heavy object on his head and not a bullet as claimed by some people.
Mr Mnyika, who doubles as Ubungo MP, said at a press conference yesterday that to make the investigation impartial President Jakaya Kikwete should form an independent inquiry team.Mr Zona, 38, was killed in Morogoro on Monday when police were engaged in a running battle with Chadema supporters who were insisting on demonstrating ahead of the rally to wind up Movement for Change (M4C) campaigns they conducted across the region.
Mr Mnyika said that Dr Nchimbi’s statement to the media shows that he was misled, therefore, the team he formed to investigate the death might not do the work fairly.
Elaborating, he said while police banned their demonstrations because it was a working day, Dr Nchimbi told reporters that Chadema was denied a permit to march because of the national population and housing census.
“This shows that the minister was fed with misleading information. On another hand, it was said that the killed person was found at least 300 metres from the area of confrontation which is not true... the man fell near a police vehicle after being hit by something on his head,” he said.
On the other hand Chadema questioned the freedom of conducting political rallies in the country and other political activities.Mr Mnyika said even the Constitutional Review Committee was ordered not to work on the first census day but after then it continued.
“I was informed that yesterday CCM members in Lindi Region marched to their regional offices to return forms without being told that it was a census day,” said Mr Mnyika.
Meanwhile, commander Shilogile said that checks conducted by two doctors at the Morogoro regional hospital in collaboration with Dr Ahmed Makata from Dar es Salaam, established that Zona was hit by a heavy object on his head prior to his death.
He said the post mortem, which was also witnessed by Chadema lawyer in Morogoro Region, Mr Aman Mwaipaya and several police officers, established that Mr Zona was not shot.
He said following the result, police were now investigating who had thrown the said heavy object to the businessman.On Hashimu Seif who was injured during the chaos, commander Shilogile said that a gas canister lobbed by police hit him. His condition is improving.
Mr Mwaipaya said that they have received the results of the post mortem and were communicating with their party headquarters for further action.
On burial arrangements, he said they were awaiting a word from the family before transporting the body to Tanga where the burial ceremony will be held.
Reported by Fariji Msonsa and Hamida Shariff