7.9 Matebeleland South Provincial Highlights In the quiet province of Matabeleland North, Chief Saba of Binga North ward 9 has continued to be in the limelight for the wrong reasons instructing village heads to report any MDC Alliance gatherings. In Binga North and Tsholotsho South. This has led to villagers desisting from attending MDC Alliance meetings for fear of being removed from beneficiary lists of food aid programs. Saba also advised community heads to report any NGOs that will come and operate in his area. finding out who did not vote for Zanu PF in the 2023 elections. One Fani Tshuma in Tsholotsho promised loan benefits, inputs and food aid programs for those that will vote for Zanu PF, whereas, another Zanu PF activist Silozwana promised violence for those that do not vote for the party. Zanu PF activists have been threatening villagers in communities to the police. that the party has a mechanism of 7.10 Matebeleland South In Matabeleland South, Zanu PF activists are going around door to door, intimidating villagers and coercing them to support the ruling party ahead of the 2023 elections and villagers who resist get threats and intimidation. Opposition political parties in the province have continued to fight for space with the most prominent one being the turf battle between the MDC Alliance and Mthwakazi Republic Party. In one of the incidents, MDC Alliance supporters ganged up and assaulted a Mthwakazi party member after he was found tearing MDC Alliance regalia. The matter was reported to the police.

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