Africa-Press – Zimbabwe. By Anna Chibamu –
ZANU PF says villagers who stoned Nelson Chamisa’s vehicles and barricaded a dirty road before assaulting MDC Alliance officials in Masvingo Sunday has the right to do so as they had been provoked by the youthful politician.
This was said by acting Zanu PF national political commissar Patrick Chinamasa who also warned MDC Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa not to impose himself on people.
Chamisa’s convoy was stoned in Masvingo rural as the opposition leader was on a mission to penetrate remote areas for support.
Zanu PF has however vowed to defend its stronghold on the rural vote.
Police had to intervene to stop the skirmishes.
“The opposition leader of MDC Alliance fired shots in the air and that makes people angry and the people will defend themselves,” Chinamasa said as he addresses a press conference in Harare Tuesday.
“What was their reason? They will get what they want. Firing in the air is abominable. Maybe this is not the last but it is clear that it was stage managed to create incidences of fake human rights violations,” Chinamasa said angrily.
“What l have been able to piece together is that democracy is about being allowed freedom of expression but is also about freedom of receiving information. I cannot force anyone to come and listen to you. I heard that the opposition leader was trying to force himself on an audience which did not want to listen to him. He had no right to do that. He had a right to address people but only those willing to be addressed by him,” Chinamasa said.
“Information l have is that the villagers did not want to be addressed by him for obvious reasons. If you listen to a mad man, you become part of his cast. You will be portrayed as part of his cast. You will go ahead claiming to support which is not there. So our supporters have a right to say no to him. The opposition leaders should be strongly advised not to impose themselves on anybody. We are going to issue a circular,” he said
