INNOCENT MURAIWA
KWEKWE CITY-Zanu PF supporters from Kwekwe have been threatening vendors with unspecified action if they refuse to attend rallies addressed by the ruling party’s leadership in Mbizvo Constituency.
Recently all vendors in Mbizvo 4 were ordered to close their businesses to a campaign rally in the Constituency and people had to comply for fear of being victimised.
Mbizo is one of the biggest constituencies in Kwekwe with a large population of vendors, artisanal miners and the informal sector.
A Mbizo 12 based vendor who asked for anonymity for safety reasons pointed out that a day before the Mbizo 4 Township rally, Zanu PF members moved around demanding that they must attend the rally, “They threatened us to attend the rally and they vowed that if any vendor would be found selling their items in streets whilst there is a rally, they would face unspecified consequences.”
“Invitation of the mass for a rally should not be done in a brutal and barbaric way, no amount of force should be used to coerce people to a rally, we are not happy at all with the way we are treated by the Zanu PF supporters as they are infringing on our rights, they harassed and promised to chase away from our vending places if we fail to attend their rallies,” said Munyaradzi Mationa (45).
Terrence Gwama who is a businessman at Mbizo 4 where the rally was held said instead of persuading residents to the rally, they cultivated fear in people and thousands gathered against their choices, “ZANUPF members employed unfair rally mobilisation ways which sought to undermine the rights of the citizens.”
“2008 seems to be back when people could be forced to support and partake into political environment, the ZANUPF team showed wrath and bitterness, they compelled us to leave our residential surbubs, marching to their rally where we were fed with propagandistic message, said Takunda Chidemo (40).
In an interview the ZANUPF Central Committe Member of Mbizo Constituency, Moses Murada had this to say “We only advised the Mbizo Constituency Residents to flock in their numbers for the rally so that they could be informed about the road map which the party is taking as the country is heading towards the 2023 harmonized elections.
“We need a violence free environment that does not harm on each other’s freedom. I have not heard about the issue of intimidation of the mass to attend the rally, however when that occured, it did not come across my way.”
