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27 February 2022
Prosperity Sikhosana<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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The Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) led by Advocate Nelson Chamisa was presented with a ban for the campaign rally pencilled for Gokwe the 26th of February.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A statement from the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) was headed,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Prohibition notice for a by-election campaign launch.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The statement was dated as at 25th of February.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The statement read in part:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“It is your submission that you intend to conduct a by-election campaign launch rally at Open Space opposite Runganga Service Station, Gokwe South on the 26th day of February 2022 from 1000 hours to 1700 hours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Your notification has been noted and this office does have reservations due to the following:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
-Reference to our discussion conducted 23rd day of February 2022 at Officer Commanding Police, Gokwe District Office and in accordance to Section 8 (3) of the Maintenance of Peace and Order Act Chapter 11:23 in which I invited you in order to discuss the amendment of the contents of your convening notice in good faith.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
-I indicated that I have received credible information that there is a threat that the proposed by-election campaign launch rally will result in serious disruption of pedestrian traffic, injury to participants attending or extensive damage to other property or public disorder since there shall also be a Zanu-PF rally in Kwekwe on the same day and times since participants are going to utilise the same Kwekwe-Gokwe highway\u2026” read the statement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It further read that the police will not be able to provide adequate protection for the persons participating in the campaign launch “since the police officers have been deployed to cover the star rally in Kwekwe.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Basing on the above so as to ensure the prevention of injury to persons or damage to property and in accordance with the provisions of section 8 (9) of the Maintenance of Peace and Order Act Chapter 11:23 I have issued a prohibition notice and allowed you to deter your by-elections campaign launch to another date,” read the statement by Officer Commanding Police District Gokwe T. Chikono.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
While the concerns of the ZRP prohibition order are observed, prudence would have prevailed had the Commanding Officer Gokwe District banned both rallies so as to prevent “injury to participants attending or extensive damage to other property”.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
More over had the intel by the Officer Commanding been factual, the perpetrators of the would be violence should have been arrested.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In disappointment, CCC President Chamisa took to blogging site, Twitter saying:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“So low! But why? We were the first ones to notify the police about our Kwekwe and Gokwe rallies. ED countered by provocatively and arrogantly pencilling his rally for Kwekwe. We don’t accept bullying.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The CCC party thus made an urgent application to the High Court and were granted permission to continue with their rally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Justice Chirau allowed the rally to go ahead stating,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“What she has is that the Police authorized the rally”.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What is of interest is that, while the Officer Commanding claimed that the ZRP “will not be able to provide adequate protection for the persons participating” the Open space where the Rally was to be conducted was teeming with police details including Canin Police Vehicles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Reports coming from our sources state that when the crowd gathered awaiting for the arrival of Nelson Chamisa and his entourage the Police descended on the unarmed civilians.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
First, the police sprayed water laced with bitter to the skin chemicals, then they fired teargas and chased CCC supporters all over the small rural town.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The whole small town was covered in tear smoke.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Despite the rally having being disrupted by the ZRP, Chamisa and his executives did arrive at the Center.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Instead of addressing a rally, Chamisa made a walk about the whole place at the jubilation of his supporters who came back to welcome their ‘liberator’.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Renowned journalist Hopewell Chin’ono posted images of the police in Gokwe where the Chamisa rally was supposed to take place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He captioned:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“The regime has now sent a riot water cannon vehicle and is building a police presence to stop the rally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“The police came to stop the rally accompanied by Zanu-PF candidate in the by-election.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the end the Police action failed to deter the CCC supporters in Gokwe from enteracting with their preferred candidate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the meantime, the ZANU-PF rally went ahead undisturbed in Kwekwe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Buses were seen passing through the Kwekwe-Gokwe highway ferrying Zanu-PF supporters, but witnesses say that those that came from the direction of Gokwe were ferrying few people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n