Police on Friday said CCC will not be allowed to go ahead
with the rally in Glen Norah for allegedly failing to comply with provisions of
the Maintenance of Peace and Order Act.
CCC, which was set up early this year, before winning the
majority of parliamentary and local government elections held since March has
approached the High Court challenging the ZRP’s position.
Gift Ostallos Siziba, the party’s deputy spokesperson,
accused the police of pandering to the whims of the ruling Zanu PF party to
block CCC rallies.
“Police blocked our rally which is set for Glen Norah
(today). It is also very sad that they did not give a reason, and we are taking
the matter to court,” Siziba told The Standard.
“We can safely conclude that the law is selective against
the CCC.”
President Emmerson Mnangagwa and other Zanu PF bigwigs have
been holding rallies across the country without any police interference.
“We know the intention of Zanu PF is to use the police to
demobilise our people so that whenever we do our meetings there will be a small
gathering,” Siziba said.
“l want to assure Zanu PF that this will not work and we
are very confident that we are going to win the 2023 elections.
“We are continuing with our preparations to host the rally
where the party leadership is going to address.
“We are leaving no stone unturned to win the 2023
elections.”
ZRP spokesperson Paul Nyathi yesterday said he was not
aware that the CCC rally had been banned.
This is not the first time that police have blocked a CCC
rally and giving various excuses such as manpower shortages.
They recently blocked a CCC rally scheduled for Chegutu.
Ahead of the March by-elections, the CCC faced similar
challenges where its rallies and other campaign activities were being disrupted
by even suspected Zanu PF activists.
Analysts say the violence witnessed at some of the
disrupted CCC rallies is a precursor of the run-up to the 2023 elections as
Mnangagwa seeks a second full term in office.
An Afrobarometer survey last month showed that 33% of
respondents said they would vote for Chamisa against Mnangagwa’s 30%.
In 2018, the 79-year-old ruler narrowly beat the CCC
leader, who was the MDC Alliance candidate in a disputed election.
Mnangagwa had risen to power the previous year after a coup
that toppled long time ruler Robert Mugabe. Standard
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