War vets attempt to block CCC meeting

OPPOSITION Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) has claimed that war veterans in Mangubo village, Plumtree in Matabeleland South province,  vainly tried to block its meeting last week.

CCC Matabeleland South chairperson Solani Moyo told Southern Eye that the meeting was aimed at drumming up support for party leader Nelson Chamisa ahead of the 2023 polls.

"We went to Mangubo village last week after having made an appointment with villagers including traditional leaders. We found that there was a village meeting where they were registering for farming inputs," Moyo said.

"The local councillor Fidzani Ndlovu advised us to wait until their meeting was over, but some overzealous war veterans tried to block us by dismissing people and instructing them not to listen to us."

He said they sought an audience with Ndlovu and finally managed to talk to the people.

"They complained on the  new farming method recently introduced by the government called Pfumbudza/Intwasa saying it is not fit for them due to their advanced age. They also said the programme was causing poverty," Moyo said.

"We also proceeded to Hingwe village where another war veteran threatened to burn down homesteads of villagers who attended our campaign meeting."

Moyo said war veterans in the province were still threatening opposition supporters.

However, Hingwe councillor Fadzai Ndlovu (Zanu-PF) dismissed CCC claims saying he had no capacity to block anyone's freedom of expression.

"There was a Zanu-PF development meeting on June 5, and the CCC members came and we advised them to wait until our meeting was over. They addressed villagers after a brief misunderstanding with us, and they accused me and other villagers of blocking their meetings," Ndlovu said.

"The time for pointing fingers at each other is over. The CCC is also a registered party. I cannot stop it from organising its meetings. All that they said to you is not true."