Zanu PF youths frustrate rivals’ campaign programmes

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KUWADZANA independent candidate Endai Mugomeza has accused Zanu PF supporters of intimidation and disrupting his campaign programmes ahead of the upcoming June 10 by-elections.

KUWADZANA independent candidate Endai Mugomeza has accused Zanu PF supporters of intimidation and disrupting his campaign programmes ahead of the upcoming June 10 by-elections.

BY OBEY MANAYITI

Mugomeza claimed a mob of Zanu PF supporters stormed his soccer tournament on Friday threatening to disrupt the activity despite it being cleared by police.

This comes at a time Zanu PF supporters have besieged Temba Mliswa’s farm in Karoi and are increasingly harassing his supporters in Hurungwe West constituency where he is standing as an independent candidate.

“I had organised a six-team soccer tournament with two teams coming from each ward. The tournament was my own way of reaching out to the electorate,” he said.

“I had sought police clearance for the event but during the first half of the first match, a group of Zanu PF hooligans came and approached the referee saying the match should be stopped.”

Mugomeza said the Zanu PF youths accused him of not following their protocol before organising the event.

“We didn’t know the procedures they were referring to because as far as I am concerned, they are not law enforcement agents,” he said.

Mugomeza said after the standoff he went to the police to seek assistance and the police told him and his team that Zanu PF supporters had no authority to act as law enforcement agents.

“Police said it was wrong for Zanu PF supporters to stop our matches. We however called off the tournament because we feared violence could erupt,” he said.

Mugomeza said he was concerned by such behaviour which infringed on other people’s rights and bordered on blocking him from reaching out to the electorate.

“Do I really need the approval of Zanu PF to hold my meetings or any activity? Do I really need a passport to get into Kuwadzana? This is very wrong,” he said.

Zanu PF Harare chairman, Godwills Masimirembwa could not be reached for comment.

Mugomeza said he was motivated to stand as an independent candidate because the two main parties — Zanu PF and MDC-T — were now “hopeless” and unable to offer solutions for the problems in the constituency.

Zanu PF has gained notoriety over the years for blocking its rivals from campaigning freely at every election.