CCC, police trade accusations over banned rallies

Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) has accused police of "conniving" with its Zanu-PF opponents to ban 92 of its rallies in over a year and further throw spanners in the works of the opposition's 2023 election campaign.

This comes after police in Bindura issued yet another prohibition order on the opposition party's 2023 campaign launch in the Mashonaland Central provincial capital citing a slew of reasons, among them, lack of toilets at the venue.

The rally was set to be addressed by party leader Nelson Chamisa this Sunday.

CCC, formed January last year, says to date, 92 of its gatherings have either been banned or disrupted.

The party which poses the biggest threat to Zanu-PF's four-decades-long dominance on local politics says six of its political gatherings were banned this week alone.

In a statement Saturday, CCC spokesperson Fadzayi Mahere said, "Zanu-PF and the police connived to unconstitutionally ban our national campaign mega-launch rally.

"We have approached the courts to challenge this illegality.

"However, the matter remains pending before the High Court making it impossible for our campaign launch which was penciled for 9 July 2023 to proceed."

Mahere blamed the ban on what she claimed were attempts at sabotaging its main challenger to the August 23 poll.

She added, "To date, Zanu-PF has abused state institutions and used political violence, unlawful arrests and intimidation to disrupt or ban over 92 CCC meetings or rallies since we were formed in January 2022.

"This week alone, six of our rallies were banned or unlawfully disrupted.

"They are unelectable, violent, corrupt and afraid of the will of the people."

Meanwhile, in a statement Saturday, police also blamed CCC for causing the ban on its own rallies through poor planning.

Police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi dismissed reports police were in the habit of arbitrarily banning opposition rallies.

He cited the Bindura rally ban which he blamed on its conveners for allegedly bungling preparation.

The rally was set for Chipadze stadium in the mining town.

"Above all, the police had engaged the Citizens Coalition for Change convener despite the fact that they had given the police insufficient notice to prepare for security arrangements in terms of the provisions of the Maintenance of Peace and Order Act (MOPA) Chapter 11:23," Nyathi said.

"The Zimbabwe Republic Police urges political parties and their representatives to be organised and avoid discrediting the police for their own internal failings to follow clear conditions stipulated under MOPA."

There have been no reports of any Zanu-PF rally banned by police in a long time.