THE opposition Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) says 80% of its leader Nelson Chamisa’s campaign rallies will be held in the rural areas, which is traditionally viewed as a Zanu PF stronghold.
CCC spokesperson, Fadzayi Mahere, said they had started
implementing the strategy, with Chamisa addressing three rallies in Midlands
province on Wednesday, starting with one at Chachacha business centre in
Shurugwi.
By mid-day he was at Mhandamabwe business centre in Chivi
before ending the day in Zvishavane.
“President Chamisa has been on a campaign trail non-stop.
These rallies are going to be predominantly in the rural areas,” Mahere said.
"We know the people we are dealing with, so we are not
going to give them a schedule right here right now. We know they are here and
they are listening but rest assured that our bona fide media would be told.
"Sometimes for the protection of citizens in certain
areas we have to do things and then report afterwards so that the citizens
remain safe where they are.”
Zanu PF has maintained a footprint in the rural areas, but
security reports from the ruling party reveal concerns over the way CCC is
making inroads into its support base.
Chamisa has been having it rough in holding his campaign
rallies, with police blocking most of the events citing various reasons.
Just yesterday, police barred CCC from holding roadshows in
Beitbridge to drum up support for Chamisa’s Sunday rally in the border town.
The CCC took the matter to court, but Beitbridge magistrate
Takudzwa Gwazemba ruled in favour of the police.
Gwazemba said police’s claims that they had inadequate
resources to provide escort during the roadshows were genuine.
Police have blocked several CCC rallies across the country
including the party’s 2023 election campaign launch which was scheduled for
Bindura.
Chamisa was only allowed to launch his election campaign in
Gweru, Midlands province, on Sunday.
On rallies being banned, Mahere said: “The ban on CCC
rallies has nothing to do with the law and everything to do with repression.
“In those instances where police say that we have not
complied with the Maintenance of Peace and Order Act (Mopa) they are unable to
articulate which section would have been violated because there is simply no
non-compliance.
“Our letters notifying the police are on a template. The police are not being honest."
Analysts yesterday commended Chamisa for his deliberate
strategy to target the rural vote.
“Rural areas are also where the democratic space is most
constrained through a cocktail of measures that includes intimidation,
violence, partisan traditional leadership and exclusionary welfare programmes,”
political analyst Vivid Gwede said.
“Visibility by the opposition will break some of these
barriers to its message being received by these communities."
Another political commentator Effie Ncube said the rural
vote could gift Chamisa the presidency.
“For the opposition the rural electorate has been its
underbelly. It's been underperforming otherwise it would have been in power,”
Ncube said.
“Those are the people that have sustained Zanu PF’s stay in
power, so if you want to undo Zanu PF’s stay in power you need to go into its
base that is in the rural areas and get the votes there.”
Analyst Rashweat Mukundu weighed in saying: “Targeting
rural communities gives such voting base assurance and confidence but also
challenges Zanu PF more directly in an area it sees as its safe political
turf.” Newsday
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