Petrol Attack On Home Of Zimbabwean Rights Activist

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Unknown attackers poured petrol round the Harare home of a prominent Zimbabwean rights activist and set the fuel alight, Lovemore Madhuku claimed on Sunday. Madhuku, the chairman of the National Constitutional Assembly (NCA) said he and the other nine occupants of his home in the medium- density suburb of Waterfalls woke shortly after midnight on Saturday to find flames surrounding the house. We were woken up by the sound of screaming, Madhuku told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa in a telephone interview. After ten minutes those inside the house broke windows, poured out water and managed to douse the flames, he said. "We discovered a five-litre bottle of petrol hidden next to the wall," Madhuku said. There was no independent confirmation of the attack. Madhuku said he suspected state agents were behind the incident. The NCA has mounted sustained anti-government campaigns since its formation in 1999, and Madhuku and other members have been arrested on several occasions. But there have been reports of discontent within NCA this year, mainly because of Madhuku's decision to continue as chairman. Other NCA members were seriously opposed to prolonging his leadership.