Chamisa's CCC to defend its people in the rural areas

OPPOSITION Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC), a victim of targeted politically motivated violence since its inception earlier this year, has vowed to protect its supporters in some of the country's most tense rural areas ahead of next year's polls.

Incidents of violence have been recorded against its members across the country since February, with two attacks claiming lives in Kwekwe and Chitungwiza.

Mboneni Ncube was stabbed and killed in broad daylight by confirmed Zanu-PF youths in Kwekwe after they attacked a CCC rally being addressed by party leader Nelson Chamisa in Mbizo.

In Chitungwiza, Moreblessing Ali was killed, hacked into pieces and dumped in a disused well by a Zanu-PF supporter.

With CCC's rural mobilisation strategy having seen it invading some of the ruling party's strongholds and perceived no-go areas for the opposition, clashes have been reported, while fears of violence have persisted in those zones ahead of 2023.

In an exclusive interview with NewZimbabwe.com, CCC's Rural Mobilisation Secretary, Happymore Chidziva, said they will not let their supporters be abused, especially after noting that they could claim victory.

"Our rural penetration strategy has worked wonders and that is the reason why Zanu-PF is escalating violence," said Chidziva.

"We have seen that we have so many supporters in places that we thought could not be accessed, virgin territories which Zanu-PF never expected us to be able to enter.

"We have 20 years of experience working against Zanu-PF. We are prepared to defend our communities; the people and we are prepared to defend the vote. Come 2023, the CCC will win the rural vote."

Chamisa's entourage has also, in some areas, been attacked by Zanu-PF apologists.

Leaked chats from within a Zanu-PF leaders' group early this year questioned why the party's provincial leaders were letting him conduct his rural tours without stopping him, against dictates of the constitution of Zimbabwe.