|
Back to Index
Traditional leaders in Chirumhanzu and Gokwe being manipulated and
exploited by ZANU PF ahead of elections
Centre
for Community Development in Zimbabwe (CCDZ)
March 25, 2011
The Centre for
Community Development in Zimbabwe (CCDZ) held a community dialogue
meeting yesterday in Chinyenyeto in Gokwe. The meeting was preceeded
by a series of similar dialogue meetings on the referendum and elections
that were held last week at Vhudzi, Mangoma, Holy Cross and Muwani
Business Centres in the Midlands province. Through community outreach,
CCDZ is mobilizing grassroots communities on the constitutional
referendum and raising awareness on citizen electoral rights in
the Mashonaland,Midlands and Manicaland provinces.
Yesterday's meeting in
Gokwe was addressed by CCDZ Programme Officers Vellim Nyama and
Tsungai Vere.Participants accused ZANU PF youths of inciting violence
in their area and said that youths who support ZANU PF MP Flora
Bhuka disrupted a peace meeting that was officiated by Chief Chireya.
The youths in Gokwe stated that when it comes to voting, people
in Gokwe are put in categories according to their age.Participants
also said that in the past elections including the Presidential
elections in 2008, most voters were asked to say that they are blind
so that they would be assisted to vote by police and ZEC officers
who are "sympathetic" to ZANU PF.
Participants accused
traditional leaders of failing to stop violence in their communities
and accused them of manipulation and exploitation by political parties.
At Chinyenyeto, residents felt that the Chiefs have been reduced
to political party propaganda instruments and have forsaken their
traditional mandate of leading and guiding communities.
The meeting took another
twist during a discussion on the political environment and conditions
for free and fair elections. The presence of police at polling stations
was raised, and the participants stated that police should abide
by the law and stay 100 metres away from the polling stations. The
participants made it clear that 'political bases' should
be dismantled for elections in Zimbabwe to be peaceful, free and
fair. The participants felt that bases have played a role in intimidating
people and the youths militia manning those "bases"
have caused more violence during the elections.
Participants said that
the meeting had inspired and compelled them to rise from slumber
and participate in the upcoming elections and referendum. Responding
to the issue of violence participants felt that the police in their
area should crush any form of violence. Participants said that there
is lack of information about important national processes in their
areas so they asked CCDZ to bring them radios so that they can listen
to Studio 7 and SW Radio. "We only have access to ZTV and Radio
Zimbabwe which are ZANU PF's propaganda tools," said one participant
at Vhudzi in Chirumhanzu.
The majority of participants
are also demanding the intervention by an international body such
as UN, SADC or AU if the elections are to be free and fair. An old
man at Vhudzi in Chirumhanzu said: " We want UN peacekeepers
to come and monitor the elections 3 months before and stay in the
country 3 months after the election. Without this intervention,
the coming elections will be bloody and masoja aMugabe (Mugabe's
military) will again butcher us".
CCDZ team of Vellim Nyama,
Tsungai Vere and Vivianne Masiyambiri and members of the Gweru Agenda
will hold meetings in Shurugwi,Gweru and Chiundura this weekend.
Visit the Centre
for Community Development fact
sheet
Please credit www.kubatana.net if you make use of material from this website.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License unless stated otherwise.
TOP
|
