Zanu PF abusing poor youths with food hampers for demos – Chamisa
By Nyashadzashe Ndoro | Nehanda Politics |
MDC Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa has accused Zanu PF of abusing poor people in rural areas to fight the opposition so that in return they are given food hampers.
Chamisa is currently on a tour meeting community leaders in Masvingo. But he has constantly received backlash from Zanu PF supporters who have been blocking his way and attacking his convoy.
On Monday he escaped attacks at roadblocks mounted by Zanu PF supporters on his way to pass condolences to the family of the late MDC veteran politician Joseph Mutema of Mutaruse Village under Chief Charumbira.
The Zanu PF mob was holding placards demanding Chamisa lifts sanctions imposed on the Zanu PF regime over the government’s disrespect of human rights and corruption.
In an interview with NewsDay, Chamisa accused Zanu PF of abusing the elderly, poor and hungry villagers to fight the opposition, giving them food hampers in return.
“It’s sad that they are using Zanu PF youths who will be holding placards yet they don’t even know how to spell the words like sanctions printed on them,” Chamisa said.
“They are using people who can’t even understand the placards they are carrying except that the return on that placard is a food hamper for the day, which is absolute abuse. In fact, it’s criminal, it’s abuse to ride on the poverty of young people and grandmothers in the countryside.”
The last two years have seen MDC Alliance suffering major backlashes after its MPs, senators and councilors were recalled by the smaller MDC-T and its leaders Douglas Mwonzora and Thokozani Khupe who accused the MPs of supporting Chamisa regardless of the fact that they contested the last election under the main opposition ticket. Through the assistance of the police, the MDC-T also grabbed the MDC Alliance headquarters in Harare.
Chamisa accused the ruling party of wanting to destroy the opposition by sponsoring all the problems but vowed “there is no going back”.
“They (Zanu PF) banned us from the national television, they banned us from radio, Parliament, councils, our headquarters and they are trying to ban us from the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC), but we are determined and there is no going back,” he said.
Chamisa also responded to Zanu PF acting Political Commissar Patrick Chinamasa’s claims that he was imposing himself on people who did not support him.
He said: “Is Zanu PF now the prefect of communities. Zanu PF is the one that is actually not wanted.
“Zanu PF doesn’t want us to meet with the people, it doesn’t want us to have a conversation. I was not imposing myself, I am not imposing myself, what I am having is a conversation with community leaders, women and youths.” Nehanda Radio
