CITIZENS’ Coalition for Change (CCC) Midlands leadership has accused Zanu PF’s shadowy group Forever Associates Zimbabwe (Faz) of leading a terror campaign against opposition supporters in Chirumanzu with the backing of deputy Environment minister Barbara Rwodzi (pictured), who is the MP for the area and ruling party candidate for the constituency in the 23 August elections.
BRENNA MATENDERE
Faz is a shadowy group led by the Central Intelligence Organisation’s deputy director-general Walter Tapfumanei. The group’s mandate is to help President Emmerson Mnangagwa win the elections by hook or by crook.
Last week, police arrested the CCC’s aspiring MP for Chirumanzu South constituency, Patrick Cheza, together with five party supporters Tinashe Moyo (47), Christopher Mutoboni (33), Elias Madhuviko (26), Tanyaradzwa Calisto Marimbe (23) and Alex Gamuchirai (37) over allegations of violence.
This was after they confront[1]ed Faz officials at polling stations during the voter inspection period.
The Faz members were taking details of voters visiting polling stations to inspect the voters’ roll. CCC supporters led by Cheza confronted them, demanding that they leave the polling stations.
They were however arrested and charged with unleashing violence. They were granted ZW$50 000 bail by a Gweru magistrate.
The prosecutor accused the group of tearing a Zanu PF book worth US$1 and damaging a phone cover. In an interview with The NewsHawks this week, CCC Midlands province acting chairperson and former Gweru mayor Josiah Makombe said the arrest of the six party officials was a tip of the ice[1]berg as an intense intimidation campaign has been spreading in the constituency.
“The situation in Chirumanzu is tense at the moment and it’s worrying, considering that we are going for elections. Zanu PF is trying to up its game of intimidating our people, trying to put fear in the membership of CCC, before the elections and it is so worrying that their leader, President Emmerson Mnangagwa, says we want a peaceful elections and what is on the ground is totally different. We condemn that as CCC,” he said.
Makombe added that the arrest of the six party members was part of a Zanu PF strategy to instill fear in the villagers. He said the arrest was being used as an example of how opposition supporters could be treated using state power.
“The circumstances that led to the arrest of our members were those of provocation by Zanu PF members. Our team had gone to check their names in the voters’ roll, and it happened that at the polling station, there were members of Faz, the organisation that everyone knows is a CIO organisation,” he said.
“They were threatening people who had come for voters’ roll inspection, asking them to give them their IDs and their personal details, and also asking questions such as who are you and why are you here.
“And, upon asking why they were asking for the particulars from citizens who were coming to in[1]spect whether their names are correctly put on the voters’ roll or not, that is where a creation of a case was fabricated to make sure that they detain, especially our aspiring candidate for Chirumanzu.” Makombe placed the blame on Rwodzi.
“Barbara Rwodzi, the current MP for Chirumanzu, is scared and resorting to dirty tactics like intimidation of villagers. She is scared and she knows that she is no longer wanted by the people of Chirumanzu.
“She knows that Patrick Cheza, our aspiring MP, is the people’s choice. He has been working tirelessly for the past five years in the constituency, doing a lot of humanitarian work while Barbara has no plan to derail his popularity.
“It is very unfortunate for a woman doing that kind of thing. She is the one who is trying to fuel violence and intimidation in Chirumanzu. Zanu PF members were bragging this week that Patrick Cheza is going to become another Job Sikhala. They said he is not going to come out and that this has been their plan. This is the last meal for Barbara in Parliament,” said Makombe.
In her brief response to questions sent by The NewsHawks, Rwodzi neither confirmed nor denied the reports of violence linked to her.
“Time will tell the truth,” she said.
Asked if it was all she wished to say on the allegations, she said: “Sure”
