Peace commission knows nothing about attacks on Chamisa's supporters

CITIZENS Coalition for Change (CCC) has blasted National Peace and Reconciliation Commissioners (NPRC), whom it has accused of turning a blind eye to violence meted on its supporters by Zanu-PF.

The Commissioners were described as clueless individuals who were sleeping on the job by CCC's Youth Spokesperson Stephen Chuma.

His comments followed claims by NPRC Spokesperson Obert Gutu that they did not know the violence CCC supporters endured and continue to face.

Both were speaking after a 4H Zimbabwe facilitated engagement between Zanu-PF, MDC, CCC, and senior journalists who included editors in Harare.

The award-winning organisation which in the past has arranged sports festivals for opposing political party youths sought to promote peace and peace reporting ahead of Zimbabwe's August 23 polls.

"If there are people with complaints, they should approach us because we cannot be approaching people on the streets to find their grievances," Gutu had said.

"If we do not get anything that is reported to us, we cannot guess what would be happening. We do not go about hunting for complaints, we cannot go on a witch-hunt."

CCC supporters have for just over a year been victims of politically motivated violence at the hands of Zanu-PF members, police, army, and much recently shadowy Forever Associates of Zimbabwe (FAZ).

Last year one of its supporters Mboneni Ncube was killed by a gang of confirmed Zanu-PF youths at a rally in Kwekwe. The gang was said to have been under instructions from former Minister of State Security in President Emmerson Mnangagwa's office Owen Ncube.

"Gutu is not being sincere, one of their duties is to look for situations where there is conflict and bring people together. If he is waiting for political parties then he is sleeping on duty," said Chuma.

"We have genuine and serious issues in this country where we have a Zanu-PF candidate brandishing guns on CCC officials, yet the NPRC is quiet.

"We have Ncube who was murdered, the NPRC was there but it is quiet. These issues are in the media, does this mean these guys do not read newspapers?

"If that is the case then this shows that these guys are incompetent."

The CCC has already been barred from campaigning through rallies on four instances by State Security agencies while a number of its supporters are either in prison on what has been described by Human Rights Defenders (HRDs) as trumped-up charges or facing various charges.

One of the party's key members Job Sikhala has spent over a year incarcerated at Chikurubi Maximum Prison, on remand.

Others in rural areas have had to endure constant threats from Zanu-PF members, FAZ, and traditional leaders according to a report by local Civic Society Organisation (CSO) Heal Zimbabwe Trust (HZT).