CCC Won't Be Bullied, Says Ostallos Siziba
Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) deputy spokesperson Gift “Ostallos” Siziba claimed that the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) is taking orders from the ZANU PF-led government to disrupt the opposition party’s programmes.
In a statement posted on his Twitter page on Saturday, Siziba said the police attempted to ban the CCC rally set for Gokwe this Saturday on the pretext of insufficient manpower.
Siziba said vowed that CCC will not be intimated by the police’s bullying tactics and that the party will not be pushed into any political confrontations. Below is Siziba’s statement posted on Twitter:
1. Yellow citizens, from January 24th, we activated a deliberate political program with the dual task of introducing the new and campaigning for our by-elections elections candidates as is the norm in any democratic jurisdiction.
2. To that end, after the Yellow Sunday rally in Harare, the Midlands Province, on behalf of your movement complied with legal requirements, and duly notified the authorities of our intention to hold a rally in Gokwe, on the 26th of February.
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3. For the avoidance of doubt, that compliance was met with approval to proceed with our yellow gathering. We dutifully activated preparatory activities which include mobilizing supporters, deployment of our security, PA systems & other technical requirements.
4. As has become clear to us, the misruling party jumped in to organise a counter-rally in Kwekwe (where we move next for another citizens rally tomorrow). In this regard, the police, yesternight engaged our Gokwe rally convener demanding we cancel our rally.
5. The basis for the police order is that they have run out of “manpower” to attend our rally due to the rally being held by Mr Mnangagwa, over 100km away from Gokwe, in Mbizo Kwekwe, to be specific.
6. We however acknowledge that they are taking orders from the regime which is worried sick by how citizens are converging for change. There’s desperation to use bare hands to derail the winds of change by the regime.
7. Without any sense of irony, there is a heavy presence of state security, in particular the police, at our rally venue in Gokwe. One wonders how they suddenly have heavy manpower to stop the rally, and none to offer “security”.
8. Yellow citizens, we reiterate that we complied with all legal requirements to hold all our events. Secondly, we had no intention to address the police & fail to understand why their supposed scarcity in Gokwe, is a justifiable reason to halt our gathering.
9. To this end, we: i. Continue engagements with the authorises to ensure the rally continues ii. After exposing the police We have been given authority to proceed with the rally iii. This was meant to deter Citizens from attending the rally. Let’s all come in numbers!!!
10. Lastly, we: i. reiterate that we are a citizens’ movement with rights enshrined in our constitution ii. We won’t be bullied! We Implore citizens to not be pushed into any political confrontations due to this blatant provocation, as per their expectations. #YeboYellow
