BY SILAS NKALA AN MDC Alliance official has claimed that they have unearthed a Zanu PF plot to block opposition party leader Nelson Chamisa from visiting the Midlands province, particularly Chirumanzu and Mberengwa districts this week.
Chamisa has been to different rural areas in the country to meet people during his “citizens convergence for change” tours.
In October and November, Chamisa was blocked and attacked when he visited Masvingo and Manicaland provinces. There were also attempts to block him during his Mashonaland West, Central and Matabeleland tours.
A source in the MDC Alliance told Southern Eye that Chamisa would be visiting Chirumanzu and Mberengwa districts this week.
However, there is an audio circulating on social media where an unnamed female Zanu PF official is heard saying the ruling party would block Chamisa from entering Chirumanzu.
“Here in Chirumanzu South as we are talking, there is a rumour that Chamisa will visit Chirumanzu from today (Sunday) onwards. As people of Chirumanzu, we cannot allow our territory to be disturbed like that.
“We sat down as a leadership from the (Zanu PF) central committee to chairpersons of the district to discuss how we should defend our territory,” the Zanu PF official is heard saying on the audio.
“We must block all areas which we think Chamisa will come through from today. Right now police will be mounting roadblocks along the roads, and we will be inside the district and every group will be protecting their wards.”
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The Zanu PF official is further heard saying the roads to be used by Chamisa must be blocked with stones and logs to ensure that he does not enter Chirumanzu.
“Last time we allowed him and he got almost 6 000 votes here. So as leaders we saw it fit that we should not allow him here.”
Contacted for comment, Zanu PF Midlands chairperson Daniel Mackenzie Ncube said: “I have listened to the audio. You can’t really make out the voice of the lady.
“The Churumanzu leadership is vehemently dissociating itself from the contents of the audio.
“I am not even aware that Chamisa would be visiting Chirumanzu. Maybe it is because most of the time I am in Mberengwa, and that is why I did not hear this.”
MDC Alliance deputy spokesperson Gift Ostallos Siziba said Chamisa and other leaders of the party were in Masvingo yesterday for the unveiling of his late mother’s tombstone.
Siziba said no matter the plots by Zanu PF to stop his “meet-the-people tours”, they would not succeed.
“The president is here in Gutu for his mother’s tombstone unveiling. Zanu PF will not stop us from moving anywhere in the country no matter how they try,” he said.
He, however, declined to reveal the exact dates when Chamisa would be visiting Chirumanzu and Mberengwa.
“We listened to the audio and the party is not moved by the threats,” Siziba said.
- Follow Silas on Twitter @silasnkala
