By Mary Taruvinga – Senior Reporter
THE CITIZENS Coalition for Change (CCC) party was Saturday blocked from holding its rally at Pfupajena Stadium in Chegutu despite having paid for the venue to the town’s municipality.
Party supporters were also chased out of the alternate venue, which is a ground next to Pfupajena.
The excuse given by the police was that the stadium is under construction.
However, according to CCC party officials, council accepted payment for use of the venue despite the fact that construction was already underway.
The rally still went on regardless with hundreds of supporters attending.
CCC organising secretary Amos Chibaya officiated the event.
“As you know, wherever we want to do a programme as CCC, (the ruling) Zanu PF (party) is always ready to employ shenanigans to disrupt us,” he said.
“The police are being used by Zanu PF, if they are left to do their job, I don’t think they will disturb us.
“But as you know they are leaving in fear and acting under instructions.”
Chibaya said the whole idea was to block the people’s party from thanking it’s supporters for ensuring victory the May by-election.
“But all the same, even if the stadium was closed, we still managed to do our rally here. As you can see, people have come in their thousands,” he said.
Chibaya said Zanu PF will never allow the opposition to campaign peacefully and accused the ruling party of killing CCC members.
“When we talk of the killings, it has always been known that since 1980 Zanu PF has been killing people. They killed people in Matabeleland in Gukurahundi.”
He continued; “Up to now, we do not know where Itai Dzamara is.
“Just recently we had the case of Moreblessing Ali. About two days ago another party supporter was killed by Zanu PF in Chitungwiza.
“There is no free and fair campaigning because the ground is not conducive,” said Chibaya
Chibaya thanked party supporters for voting for the party’s candidates in recent elections.
CCC municipal candidates from ward two, nine and 11 won the election.
“What the people want from you (councillors) is to deliver,” he said.
“The Presidential elections are coming and we want Emmerson Mnangagwa to go to court complaining that the election had been rigged.”
In an interview on the side-lines of the rally, CCC Chegutu ward 11 councillor Alice Kudhlande echoed Chibaya’s sentiments.
Kudhlande defeated Zanu PF’s Merjury Kudya and MDC-T’s Thomas Mahachi in the May by-election.
“You know Zanu PF is not allowing all political parties to have a level playing field,” he said.
“We actually paid for the venue and all of a sudden we were told that the stadium is under construction.
“However, the citizens (CCC supporters) did not disappoint. In the morning the police were chasing out people.
“The police even tried to chase them off the second venue with no lucky. We have supporters who are committed, who love their party.”
