Zanu-PF, CCC in Fist Fights Over ZEC

Zimbabwe's two leading political parties clashed once again in Harare on Monday. This time it was over the controversial ZEC delimitation exercise. The meeting that took place at Town House degenerated into fistfights between the ruling Zanu PF party members and opposition Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) activists forcing Zec officials to halt the process for about 30 minutes.

Things got heated when Zanu PF provincial chairperson Godwills Masimirembwa shot down a suggestion by CCC members to increase wards in the capital. The CCC want the number of wards in Harare to be increased to 55 from 46, while Zanu PF want them reduced to only 43.

ZEC officials had to flee the venue at council chambers and council security had to be called in to quell the situation. Both parties are said to have bussed in supporters to the meeting at Town House.

“The situation I saw outside is not good at all; I even struggled to negotiate my way through to my office. I can see there are drunk people who have been bussed to this meeting. Some people were not supposed to be here, this is only a stakeholders meeting,” Mafume said.

The situation escalated when Masimirembwa attacked the opposition labelling it “failures”.

“We can’t increase the wards when Harare City Council is failing, they have just failed on service delivery.”.

Former ZINASU leader now Harare councillor Denford Ngadziore then grabbed the mic from Masimirembwa saying he had turned the meeting into a Zanu PF rally. Zanu PF supporters charged towards the podium in a bid to attack.

Mafume had to retreat to his office with Zec officials. Riot and municipal police had to be called in to restore order. In Bulawayo last week, 16 CCC councillors walked out of a Zec consultative meeting following a dispute over the number of wards.  CCC had proposed 35 wards while Zec presented only 29.