'CCC' candidates push ahead

CANDIDATES accused by the opposition CCC of fraudulently submitting nomination court papers while masquerading as bona fide party nominees have persisted with campaigns ahead of the 23 August general elections.

Despite de-campaigning the candidates on social media, and associating them with Zanu-PF and Forever Associates Zimbabwe, the "fake" candidates have upped the ante in campaigning.

In St Mary's, Freddy Masarirevhu (pictured) and the party's bona fide candidate, Brighton Mazhindu, are slugging it out on the campaign trail, with both claiming to be the party candidate.

Masarirevhu is conducting door-to-door campaigns with his team. He also has big banners on buses and commuter omnibuses in the constituency.

Apart from Masarirevhu, Hunyani's double candidate, Terrence Khumbula, is on the campaign trail, holding constituency meetings despite being warned against so doing by the party.

He spoke to The NewsHawks in a brief interview, saying he was pressed for time with constituency meetings.

Khumbula took the opportunity to dispel the widely circulated narrative that he was arrested together with Trouble Hasha at a Zimbabwe Electoral Commission multi-party liaison meeting in Harare on 10 July.

On the said date, CCC spokesperson Fadzayi Mahere and some activists tweeted videos of the duo being taken by party supporters out of Harare Girls' High premises where Zec was having a multi-party liaison meeting and being delivered to Law and Order police officers.

They were last pictured in a police truck.

Khumbula says police only stepped up to whisk them away from violent CCC supporters.

"CCC members being led by Ngadziore became violent and police had to maintain peace," he said

"It's their job to maintain peace so they had to move us from violent members who were being led by Ngadziore," he said.

Khumbula is among the 20 MP double candidates across the country who were cautioned against proceeding as candidates under the party banner.

The opposition party's hope to have the candidates disqualified was quashed after the High Court dismissed their application to have double candidates removed from the list of those who had successfully filed their nomination papers with Zec.

The party reported a case of fraud for the double candidates under RRB number 5585161 at  ZRP Kopje.

Only Masvingo ward 2 council candidate Frank Chirairo, who had filed his name for the seat under the CCC banner, withdrew his candidature.

Meanwhile, there have been several reports of intimidation of CCC candidates during this campaign season.

In the wee hours of Thursday, aspiring MP for St Mary's, Brighton Mazhindu, woke up to a suspected bombing on his house that left windows broken.

In Hunyani, police wrote to CCC to stop door-to-door campaigns.

On Thursday, two CCC members including ward 20 council candidate, Bevean Murada, were detained after they were arrested while conducting door-to-door campaigns in Zengeza East.

In Cowdray Park, Raphael Pashor Sibanda had one of his campaign meetings disrupted by suspected Zanu-PF thugs.

The same day, Marondera Central candidate Caston Matewu saw all his posters removed from a wall where he had pasted them.

According to the Zimbabwe Peace Project, aspiring council candidates in Shamva South wards 24 and 22 woke up to mock coffins on their doorsteps.