16 February 2022
Innocent S Ncube
Prosperity Sikhosana
As the March by-elections draw closer, a deja vu of political violence and arrests are already at play.
Deja vu is a feeling of having experienced something similar. This time its not a feeling but events of past political violent acts are reenacting.
As usual the violence is being targeted on the opposition as well as the arrests.
Since opposition party Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) dumped its former MDC Alliance name and adopted a new yellow colour its supporters have resorted to ‘painting’ the towns with yellow clothing and posting any yellow objects on social media in awareness campaigns.
The ‘yellow movement’ had taken over social media platforms as there is no day that Nelson Chamisa’s CCC is not mentioned by friends and foes alike.
For time immemorial Chamisa has had the ruling party “shake in their boots.”
It is a fact that Chamisa’s threat for the ultimate Zimbabwe throne was realised in the 2018 harmonised elections when he garnered more than two million votes. This feat nearly toppled the current president from the hot seat.
This, amongst other reasons has been the reason why varakashi have been ever vilifying Nelson Chamisa’s led party.
Varakashi are social media trolls who emerged through President Mnangagwa to attack the opposition on social media.
Varakashi have made their presence felt on social media and elsewhere by pronouncing anything that villifies Chamisa and his followers.
The unexpected change of name and colour, from MDC-Alliance and red respectively, caught ZANU-PF and its allies napping and ever since varakashi have been on overdrive on social media, in public transport vehicles, in supermarkets, banks and bars.
Only yesterday a fake post of a CCC rally has been circulated by an alleged ZANU-PF account on Twitter.
The information in the poster claims that CCC is going to hold a campaign rally on the 19th of February.
Whereas Citizens Coalition for Change has planned a rally slatted for Sunday the 20th of February 2022 at Zimbabwe Grounds.
“Zanu-PF again spreading fake news meant to confuse citizens.
CCC has a rally on Sunday, CCC has not called for more sanctions…”.
Renowned journalist Hopewell Chin’ono responded to the poster that has been circulating on social media platforms yesterday.
The post is meant to confuse followers of the ‘Yellow Movement’ campaign. As previously stated, CCC has advertised a campaign rally for Sunday at a different venue altogether.
The rally to be held at Zimbabwe Grounds on Sunday 20 February will be addressed by Chamisa.
It is evident that Chamisa and followers have ever been facing major challenges from even before changing its name from MDC Alliance.
There is history
of violence perpetrated by law enforcement agents as well as ZANU-PF supporters against, especially MDC from way back in 2000.
Opposition figures have faced arbitrary arrests, beatings, vilifying and false accusations.
Lately, Tendai Biti the Vice President of the party CCC was arrested on Monday during the party’s “meet and greet” at Letombo shops in Harare.
Biti stated:
“They arrested us yesterday without charge or cause while on our campaign at Letombo Spar in Masasa. They took us to Law and Order Department at Harare Central.”
Biti was later released without charge after two hours in detention.
Some time late last year, Chamisa’s convoy was attacked in Masvingo and Mutare on his way to campaign rallies by alleged Zanu-PF supporters.
His car windows were smashed by what seemed like stones being thrown at the vehicles.
Despite his unending battles with alleged Zanu-PF members, the CCC trail seems to be gaining momentumt from more people everyday.
Having lost the court battles against one of their ‘own’ Douglas Mwonzora, and having had many of their MPs and councilors recalled and having being denied the money from the Treasury as the main opposition party, CCC has weathered serious storms and is likely to face more.
The day began with Hopewell Chin’ono having released an audio allegedly from ZANU-PF supporters planning to sabotage CCC Star rally.
In audio suspected ruling Zanu PF party members are heard discussing means in which they can sabotage the rally.
In the conversation the opposition party’s Zanu PF’s Harare structures are planning to book Zimbabwe Grounds in Highfields where CCC leader Nelson Chamisa is expected to address party supporters Sunday.
“Junta you are in the province (Harare). Why can you not let the District Coordinating Committee (DCC) do the job since it reports directly to Harare province? Let us follow party protocol,” an official from a Zanu PF WhatsApp group is heard giving instructions.
A voice of woman intervenes and says,
“There is no need to send someone. We just need to liaise with PISI (Police Internal Security and Investigation) officials and find out if the CCC people have booked the venues already. If not then we can simply counter the booking and we are done!”
Another third voice third comes in with a different point: “I have another idea. I do not know if Mr Gomwe (Godwin – vice chairperson Harare province) or somebody is here. I am just thinking if it will work out or not.These people are saying Zororo Centre grounds behind the Zimbabwe Grounds. I am not sure if they have already made a booking of the Zimbabwe Grounds and the centre.
“If they have not booked, we can simply go and make our booking ahead of them (CCC). Can we send someone to check if a booking has already been done? If not, then we can book for our own meeting to counter them. But it is tricky to have our own meeting there because we have our big shots, so protocol has to be followed. Our party respects protocol. Let us get a green light from the bosses first. I believe Mr Gomwe is in this group so let us hear what he has to say,” added another.
Ironically Zanu PF launched its national by-election campaign at Epworth High School in Harare over the weekend and there was no attack or interruptions from CCC.
Zimbabwean politics has failed to live to the tenants of brotherhood. Each time the country faces an election there has to be unnecessary violence and arrests.
Can’t Zimbabweans live in harmony?
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