Opposition leader Nelson Chamisa is being forced to “sneak” into some parts of rural areas for safety reasons following previous attempts on his life by suspected Zanu PF activists and state agents.
Hundreds of Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) supporters
in Bikita were on Wednesday stunned to see Chamisa showing up unexpectedly in
Nhodovari village, in Makuvaza ward 5, to attend the burial of staunch party
member Langton Musavhaya who had passed away on Monday.
Upon hearing of the presence of Chamisa in the area, scores
of party supporters from distant villages descended on the village to join the
funeral at the Musavhaya homestead after Chamisa’s arrival.
Local CCC leaders who spoke to The Standard said Chamisa’s
visit had not been publicised to avoid possible violent clashes that have
accompanied most of his rural visits since last year.
“Chamisa’s visits here have of late been violently
disrupted by Zanu PF activists and it has necessitated that ways be found to
avoid this and allow him to visit us without fearing for his life and without
his followers being attacked,” a local party leader who refused to be named
said.
“The visit had to be made secret because of what had been
happening in the past. There is no doubt that if the visit had been publicised,
Zanu PF would have tried to stop president Chamisa from passing through.
“This is one of our many strategies to make sure that
victory is certain come 2023, despite various obstacles.”
The CCC leader had to call off the rally after top Zanu PF
officials took over the venue claiming they had booked it for their rally.
CCC spokesperson Gift Siziba said the secrecy in Chamisa’s
itinerary was meant to protect him following several assassination attempts on
his life.
“Given the surge in the cases of politically motivated
violence against the CCC and clear assassination attempts on the president,
there is need to put in place plans that ensure the safety of the President,”
Siziba said.
“CCC rallies have been marred by Zanu PF violence. We have
seen roadblocks being manned by Zanu PF to block our president from passing
through. It is against this background that we have seen it prudent that the
itinerary of the principal be accessible only to those that are cleared.
“Of course, there are freedoms that everyone should enjoy
but those freedoms have been violated on several occasions. We have to have in
place measures to ensure that we meet the citizens.”
Countless rallies set to be addressed by Chamisa have been
violently disrupted by Zanu PF party activists and suspected state security
agents since last year, with his motorcade often attacked.
Last month in Gokwe scores of opposition supporters and
journalists from the private media were severely assaulted at illegal roadblocks
mounted by Zanu PF supporters.
Chamisa was scheduled to address a campaign rally later on
the day to drum up support for the party’s Gokwe-Kabuyuni parliamentary
by-election candidate Costin Muguti.
But Zanu PF spokesperson Christopher Mutsvangwa rubbished
CCC claims that the ruling party was
sabotaging Chamisa’s campaign rallies.
“These are utter
lies. Why is he not attacked here in Harare?
What CCC doesn’t know is that nothing succeeds like success itself.
President (Emmerson Mnangagwa) vatiza nechimuti (The President is winning the
race. That is why there is all this
much whining. We are competing and
cannot be campaigning for our rivals,” Mutsvangwa said.
Efforts to get a
comment from police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi were in
vain as his mobile number was not reachable.
Addressing mourners at the Bikita funeral wake last week
Chamisa called for peace ahead of the 2023 elections and said the late Zimbabwe
President Robert Mugabe had endorsed him to take the presidency.
“CCC is the party of
choice. Even the late former president realised that Zanu PF had nothing to
offer and ordered people to vote for me,” Chamisa said.
After he was deposed in a military coup in 2017, Mugabe
said he would vote for Chamisa ahead of the 2018 elections to spite his
long-time allies in Zanu PF who ousted him in a de facto coup.
Mugabe told reporters at his mansion in Harare that
President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s government was unconstitutional and that ED
ruled by the gun.
“He (Mugabe) said his people turned against him. They
removed him against his will …. Nomatter what they do, this time around our
victory is certain,” Chamisa said.
“The late Mudhara Bhuradha was an advocate for peace and
harmony. People should not hate each other because of their political
differences,” Chamisa said.
“People tend to forget about humanity and focus on their
political differences. Love one another. Do not hate each other. Unite as
one. No one should have violent actions
against another person. Young people
should contribute to the development of the country and desist from violent
insurrections.”
The country’s elections have been marred by political
violence.
The run-up to the March by-elections this year were also
characterised by political violence that claimed the life of an opposition CCC
activist in Kwekwe.
Human rights’ watchdogs in their surveys have listed Zanu
PF as the main perpetrators of political violence, a charge the ruling party
denies. Standard
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