A ZANU-PF youth identified as Tichaona Chacha is reportedly battling for life at Kwekwe General Hospital after he was hacked with a machete by fellow party members during a scuffle at a city commuter omnibus rank last Thursday.

This followed allegations that Zanu-PF terror group known as Al-Shabaab was victimising public transporters for heeding last Wednesday’s stay away call by demanding “fines of between $20-$40 a vehicle”.

It is understood the victimisation by Zanu-PF structures could be the tip of the iceberg as there were reports of some government workers being singled out for failing to report for duty last Wednesday.

Sources who witnessed the incident said Chacha was struck 10 times when rowdy Zanu-PF youths besieged the rank demanding money from commuter operators who had heeded last Wednesday’s stay away call and pulled their vehicles off the road.

“He (Chacha) told his friends to leave the kombi operators and instead focus on those who called for the stay away. He insisted that we should continue working and not be distracted by his peers,” one of the drivers said.

Former Kwekwe mayor, Shadreck Tobaiwa, whose kombis operate the city-Amaveni route confirmed the clashes.

“The youths demanded that all those who had stayed away from work on Wednesday, should pay them $40 each or stop operations altogether. They are victimising us,” Tobaiwa said.

Zanu-PF Midlands provincial secretary for security, Owen “Mudha” Ncube could not be reached for comment as his mobile phone went unanswered yesterday, but provincial spokesperson Cornelius Mupereri professed ignorance over the matter saying he was away in Zhombe on the said day.

Chacha’s sympathisers have allegedly threatened to hit back.

Kwekwe police declined to comment on the issue, referring all questions to national police spokesperson Senior Assistant Commissioner Charity Charamba, who yesterday said she was unaware of the alleged attack. source-byo24