#PROVINCIAL OUTLOOK
MANICALAND PROVINCE
In Manicaland Province, during
the month of November 2021,
partisan distribution of food was
rampant in Headlands and
Buhera areas.
In Headlands, police arrested and
detained Ward 32 councillor Farai
Mutokose after he stood his
ground to resist and block
partisan distribution of aid after
Zanu PF members had hijacked
the process and attempted to
deny MDC supporters maize
inputs. The incident involved a
government extension officer who
had aided Zanu PF members to
sideline opposition supporters in
what shows a worruing conflation
of state and the ruling party.
In Buhera, government’s Social
Welfare department aid was
politicized by ZanuPF activists
after the Department of Social
Welfare officers left it in the
hands of the local leaders. This
trend is likely to continue as the
country goes to the 2023 election.
Food and other aid is usually
used as a political weapon to
coerce and lure villagers into
compromising on their political
rights as if they are opposed to
those with close proximity to
power, they are then denied the
aid.
In Chimanimani West, ward 17,
on 28 November 2021, police
armed with guns, baton sticks
and tear gas canisters disrupted
an MDC Alliance closed-door
meeting near Biriiri Business
Centre.
Masvingo Province
In Masvingo as political
temperatures continued heating
up, and factionalism within the
ruling ZanuPF party continued
with the most notable case being
in Chivi Central.
The result of the fights between
the Pwanyai and Bholato factions
in the area is affecting the
villagers’ way of life . In one
instance the Pwanyai faction
process and dished out to
members of that faction, leaving
many people not benefitting. and
distributed inputs among
themselves before leaving
freebies for the other faction to
get and this led to many people
not receiving their shares.
The factionalism in Chivi Central
is leading to tension and violence
and on 12 November 2021Ward
16, it one Namiel Gumbu who is
the former ZanuPF Youth
chairperson for the ward
allegedly caused mayhem at
Masunda South School as he
violently blocked a truck ferrying
people to Nyamakwe Business
Centre to get fertilizer handouts .
A violent confrontation played
out as the two factions of the
ruling party clashed.
HARARE
Zimbabwe‘s two major political
parties Zanu PF and MDC-Alliance
continued to violate Covid-19
protocols on gatherings through
political activities held around the
province. On 5 November a large
crowd of Zanu PF supporters
thronged the Robert Gabriel
Mugabe International Airport to
welcome President Mnangagwa on
his return from a trip to the
United Nations Climate Change
Conference held in Glasgow,
Scotland during the COP26
conference. Two weeks later on
14 November MDC Alliance
supporters who had convened in
Mabvuku for the party’s 22
anniversary celebrations were
violently dispersed by the
Zimbabwe Republic Police. MDC
Alliance secretary-general Chalton
Hwende confirmed the arrests of
at least 15 party supporters who
attended the event which he was
scheduled to address. The
activists were detained at
Mabvuku Tafara police station.
Although both parties violated
Covid-19 protocols the police
remained biased towards Zanu PF
supporters as no arrests were
made at the airport however MDC
Alliance activists were rounded
up by the police. ZPP therefore
implores the Zimbabwe Republic
Police (ZRP) to execute their
duties in a professional manner
and enforce the law without fear
or favour.
MASHONALAND CENTRAL
MDC Alliance President Nelson
Chamisa’s tour to meet opinion
leaders, councillors and other
duty bearers in Mashonaland
Central Province faced violent
reactions from suspected Zanu PF
supporters. Chamisa’s team
comprising of party activists and
his security team faced challenges
in Shamva, Mvurwi, Muzarabani
and Mbire areas. These areas
reportedly turned into a warzone
as roads were barricaded with
stones, tree logs and other
materials. In Muzarabani North
Zanu PF called for an urgent
meeting at Muzarabani Growth
point following rumours that
MDC-Alliance President Nelson
Chamisa was coming to address
people in Muzarabani. Ruling
party activists were mobilised to
convene at the venue where
Chamisa was scheduled to engage
community leaders and other
stakeholders. In Mbire Chamisa is
said to have evaded roadblocks
mounted by suspected Zanu PF
supporters and state security
agents. He reportedly used a
motorbike to travel to Mbire to
evade his adversaries. Sources say
that state security agents and
some Zanu PF supporters were
trailing Chamisa’s convoy and the
opposition leader was forced to
abandon it and use a motorbike.
In Bindura South, Chamisa
security team reportedly clashed
with State security agents and
Zanu PF youths resulting in
gunshots being fired to disperse
both parties.