THE opposition MDC Alliance and civic society organisations (CSOs) yesterday accused the police of working with Zanu PF to block opposition leader Nelson Chamisa from meeting villagers in Masvingo province.
Chamisa is on a whirlwind tour of Masvingo where he has
been meeting villagers, but has been attacked several times by violent Zanu PF
activists with the assistance of the police.
The police also teargassed the opposition leader at a
private residence in Masvingo town on
Monday. Yesterday, police reportedly besieged the Zaka home of MDC Alliance
provincial chairman for Masvingo province Senator Misheck Marava and
interrogated those present and demanded to search the place.
A truck full of police officers was parked at the Marava
homestead for the better part of the day with MDC Alliance also claiming that
police in Bikita forced a noon shutdown of Janet Shopping was allegedly passing
by.
The MDC Alliance and CSOs said the happenings in Masvingo
were confirmation of an unholy alliance between Zanu PF and the police.
But police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi
said he was unaware of the allegations made by the MDC Alliance. He urged the
opposition party to report to Masvingo police instead of “exaggerating issues
on social media”.
“The ZRP is not aware of these allegations,” Nyathi said.
“We are only seeing them on social media. The ZRP command in Masvingo has made
it clear that if there are any reports, the MDC Alliance must engage the police
and verify facts rather than exaggerating some issues on the social media
platforms.
“The MDC Alliance is implored to engage the officer
commanding Masvingo province and raise their complaints.”
Chamisa yesterday told NewsDay that the police did nothing
to protect them from violent Zanu PF activists.
“Honestly, if we are stage-managing riot police barricading
a homestead in a village where we were supposed to be meeting community
leaders, then we must be great actors, bigger than Hollywood and Bollywood
stars,” Chamisa said.
“If we are able to rope in other components of the State to
that act, without anyone being arrested, then we are that big.”
Chamisa, however, said despite the violence, his delegation
had held meetings in Chivi, Ngundu, Mwenezi, Chingwizi and Rutenga. He said he
had been energised by the support the party was receiving from the people.
Chamisa accused Zanu PF of abusing the elderly, poor and
hungry villagers to defend the corrupt elite in the ruling party. “It’s sad that they are using Zanu PF youths
who will be holding placards yet they don’t even know how to spell the words
like sanctions printed on them,” Chamisa said.
“They are using people who can’t even understand the
placards they are carrying except that the return on that placard is a food
hamper for the day, which is absolute abuse. In fact, it’s criminal, it’s abuse
to ride on the poverty of young people and grandmothers in the countryside.”
Chamisa added: “They (Zanu PF) banned us from the national
television, they banned us from radio, Parliament, councils, our headquarters
and they are trying to ban us from the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec), but
we are determined and there is no going back,” he said.
Responding to Zanu PF politburo member Patrick Chinamasa
who claimed Chamisa was imposing himself on people who did not support him, the
opposition leader said: “Is Zanu PF now the prefect of communities. Zanu PF is
the one that is actually not wanted.
“Zanu PF doesn’t want us to meet with the people, it
doesn’t want us to have a conversation. I was not imposing myself, I am not
imposing myself, what I am having is a conversation with community leaders,
women and youths.”
Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition (CiZC), a grouping of over 300
CSOs yesterday said the violence taking place in Masvingo under the watch of
the police was disturbing. CiZC spokesperson Marvellous Kumalo said the attacks
on the MDC Alliance activists in the presence of police officers who also were
accused of teargassing Chamisa’s team should be condemned.
Zanu PF secretary for security Lovemore Matuke said he was
still to get a report on events in Masvingo.
Home Affairs minister Kazembe Kazembe refused to comment,
saying he was yet to receive a report on what had transpired. “I cannot comment
before I get a report of what is happening,” Kazembe said.
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