CITIZENS Coalition for Change (CCC) leader Nelson Chamisa yesterday accused President Emmerson Mnangagwa of unleashing an orgy of political violence in anger after he spurned his offer for a unity government to stop the holding of the 2023 general elections.
There is alarming violence targeting CCC supporters across
the country ahead of the Saturday by-elections, with Zanu PF and the police
accused of being the main perpetrators.
The violence claimed the life of a CCC activist in Kwekwe
recently, while several other victims have been left nursing wounds after
thorough beatings by suspected Zanu PF activists and the police.
Some activists have allegedly been assaulted while in
police custody.
Addressing thousands of party supporters at Sakubva stadium
in Mutare, Chamisa accused Mnangagwa of angrily resorting to violence after he
turned down his officer for an inclusive government.
“We refused an offer for a government of national unity
(GNU) and said let’s go to elections; those who have won will lead and those
who lose will support the winners either as opposition or united government,
but we will not make the mistakes we made under former late president Morgan
Tsvangirai,” said Chamisa to massive applause.
Tsvangirai entered into a GNU with the late president
Robert Mugabe in 2008 after the harmonised elections were widely condemned as
not free and fair.
But the GNU was marred by reports that Mugabe’s Zanu PF was
deliberately reneging on the agreement to collapse the inclusive government.
Mnangagwa has now set up torture bases to punish the
opposition for rejecting the GNU offer, Chamisa claimed.
“Zanu PF then resorted to setting torture camps and bases
and they are back to their old self,” he said.
MDC-T leader Douglas Mwonzora has been accused of working
with Mnangagwa to sell the GNU agenda.
Chamisa warned Mnangagwa of a popular uprising if the
ruling party continued with its orgy of political violence.
“The reason why we
are here is to preach about change. Our hands are not full of blood,” he said.
“Our hands are full of peace. Zanu PF will not provoke us
into violence.
“We have the people and we can overwhelm them, but we are
not going to be provoked at all.
“Please Mnangagwa please, don’t abuse your power and
responsibility.
“When we are in power, police are not going to abuse their
power by beating up people.
We have heard people saying Zanu PF can rig elections, not
this time.”
Chamisa was in Mutare to drum up support for the CCC’s
aspiring legislators Regai Tsunga and Prosper Mutseyami, who are eyeing the
Mutasa South and Dangamvura/Chikanga seats respectively.
There are also a number of vacant local government seats in
the Mutare council following the recall of MDC Alliance councillors by
Mwonzora.
The CCC last week stopped short of saying it will boycott
the by-elections in protest over the contested voters’ roll.
The opposition party demanded that the Zimbabwe Electoral
Commission (Zec) use the 2018 voters’ roll for the by-elections, which was also
exposed to have massive irregularities by data analysts.
Zec has not responded.
Saturday polls are likely to settle the question on who is
Zimbabwe’s leading opposition political leader between Chamisa and Mwonzora.
Chamisa’s newly formed CCC has been pulling huge crowds at
its rallies and yesterday’s event was no exception.
On the other hand, Mwonzora’s campaigns are being attended
by a handful of supporters. Standard
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