News / National
Rural folks shying away from Chamisa's CCC
29 Apr 2023 at 14:24hrs | Views
CITIZENS Coalition for Change's (CCC) Consensus Candidate Selection process in rural areas has been hampered by fear of victimisation by Zanu-PF, party Deputy Spokesperson Ostallos Siziba has said.
Siziba could not comment on whether candidates had been selected in some rural areas, particularly remote Masvingo.
He told journalists Thursday, they were not going to share the nominees list as Zanu-PF supporters could target them.
After the party's nomination process, a screening process was conducted which will be followed by manifesto presentations.
The presentations are set for this Saturday and Sunday, with CCC's final list of council and parliament candidates announced ‘in a few days' according to Siziba.
"We are dealing with a brutally callous, indifferent regime that is in panic and one of its manner of manipulation is the harvest of fear, the use of fear against those who differ with the state or President Emmerson Mnangagwa's administration," said Siziba.
"It is without doubt that citizens have subscribed to the citizen's movement and are ready to represent the party in various angles however one of the challenges we have faced during this process is this harvest of fear particularly in the country side.
"It is because of that strategic necessity that we have not publicly released names of those that have been nominated in the countryside because Zanu-PF has deployed violence as a tool to try influencing our people to withdraw from nominations and the process.
"Remember the election has not been declared, the nomination court has not been sat. We have agreed to protect our people. You know in Zaka one of our candidates was abducted and torture of our people across the country."
Politically motivated violence has been predicted ahead of this year's crunch plebiscite. This has further been heightened by CCC's campaigns in perceived Zanu-PF rural strongholds.
Zimbabwe heads for elections in August this year with some interesting contests.
Former Deputy Prime Minister Thokozani Khupe is likely to face off with Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube where she was nominated for the Cowdray Park parliamentary seat.
Mabvuku Member of Parliament (MP) James Chidhakwa, who was reportedly nominated, is likely to contest Zanu-PF's 'Mr. Gold' Scott Sakupwanya.
Siziba could not comment on whether candidates had been selected in some rural areas, particularly remote Masvingo.
He told journalists Thursday, they were not going to share the nominees list as Zanu-PF supporters could target them.
After the party's nomination process, a screening process was conducted which will be followed by manifesto presentations.
The presentations are set for this Saturday and Sunday, with CCC's final list of council and parliament candidates announced ‘in a few days' according to Siziba.
"We are dealing with a brutally callous, indifferent regime that is in panic and one of its manner of manipulation is the harvest of fear, the use of fear against those who differ with the state or President Emmerson Mnangagwa's administration," said Siziba.
"It is without doubt that citizens have subscribed to the citizen's movement and are ready to represent the party in various angles however one of the challenges we have faced during this process is this harvest of fear particularly in the country side.
"It is because of that strategic necessity that we have not publicly released names of those that have been nominated in the countryside because Zanu-PF has deployed violence as a tool to try influencing our people to withdraw from nominations and the process.
"Remember the election has not been declared, the nomination court has not been sat. We have agreed to protect our people. You know in Zaka one of our candidates was abducted and torture of our people across the country."
Politically motivated violence has been predicted ahead of this year's crunch plebiscite. This has further been heightened by CCC's campaigns in perceived Zanu-PF rural strongholds.
Zimbabwe heads for elections in August this year with some interesting contests.
Former Deputy Prime Minister Thokozani Khupe is likely to face off with Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube where she was nominated for the Cowdray Park parliamentary seat.
Mabvuku Member of Parliament (MP) James Chidhakwa, who was reportedly nominated, is likely to contest Zanu-PF's 'Mr. Gold' Scott Sakupwanya.
Source - newzimbabwe
