By A Correspondent- A handful of Zanu PF’s rented crowds was this morning outsmarted and left singing and chanting at the wrong venue in Zaka.

The few Zanu Pf supporters were chanting and holding placards at a Zaka residence in anticipation of the arrival of MDC Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa.

However, Chamisa was in no show and was already addressing somewhere.

This was revealed by the Masvingo MDC A Youth Assembly.

Said the MDC Alliance:

WE REMAIN IN CHARGE A handful of rented crowd outnumbered @ Senator Marava’s residence in Zaka. @PoliceZimbabwe and @ZANUPF_Official sings at the wrong venue, the Ppls president @nelsonchamisa is already addressing somewhere. #DECOY ~POLITICAL PRAXIS 101 @mdczimbabwe @daddyhope

In a related development, the MDC Alliance deputy spokesperson Gift Ostallos Siziba scoffed at the rented crowds and said vaneta meaning they are tired.

Yesterday, a convoy leading President Chamisa’s motorcade was attacked by Zanu Pf stalwarts and left severely damaged while several MDC Alliance were also stoned and left nursing injuries.

Addressing a Press conference in Harare, Zanu PF acting commissar Patrick Chinamasa said Chamisa, who is currently undertaking community interface meetings around the country as he mobilises support ahead of the 2023 elections, was entirely to blame.

Zanu PF accused opposition MDC Alliance leader Chamisa of provoking its supporters to attack him and his team by “trying to impose his views and trying to address disinterested Zanu PF supporters”.

It is alleged that the ruling party supporters, who were chanting slogans, were accompanied by the police.

“What I heard happened in Masvingo was that the opposition leader wanted to force himself on an audience which did not want to listen to him,” Chinamasa said.

“He had no right to force people to listen to him. He had a right to address people but only those who were willing to be addressed by him.”

A group of about 200 Zanu PF supporters brandishing placards denouncing Chamisa for the sanctions imposed by the West on the country pounced on the opposition leaders, damaging cars and injuring five opposition supporters.

Zanu PF initially claimed the protest was stage-managed.

But Chinamasa yesterday said the villagers were angered because a “madman” wanted to address them.

“In this case, my information is that the villagers did not want to be addressed by him for obvious reasons. If you listen to a madman, you become part of his cast, you will be portrayed as part of his cast, he will then go ahead and say, I have lots of support, which he does not have.

“So our Zanu PF people have a right to say, we don’t want you to address us, we don’t want to, it’s my right, but if you force me to listen to you, I have reason to be angry.”

Chinamasa did not, however, explain why the police teargassed Chamisa at a private residence, how the villagers acquired the neatly printed placards or what they were doing, uninvited, at MDC Alliance gatherings.

He also claimed that Chamisa and his entourage fired guns into the air to try and scare away Zanu PF supporters.

“I hear the opposition leader and his bodyguards fired shots in the air,” Chinamasa said.

“You know the last time we heard shots in the air was during the liberation struggle, now if there is anything that can agitate people and make them angry, is trying to demonstrate your power through firing a gun.

“You must expect the consequences; you are basically asking people to defend themselves.”

Chinamasa also claimed some non-governmental organisations (NGOs) were receiving funding from the West to topple the government and the party will soon be issuing a directive to party supporters to shun them.

“So, we will be writing a directive mentioning the NGOs that are proxies of countries wanting to topple the Zanu PF government,” Chinamasa said.

“We will tell our supporters, don’t have anything to do with those people, don’t associate with those people, they are no good, they are going to bring misery to you.”

Information Ministry secretary Ndavaningi Mangwana and Zanu PF director of information Tafadzwa Mugwadi thanked the people of Masvingo for attacking and blocking Chamisa’s convoy.

They accused the MDC Alliance of stage-managing the attacks in order to draw the attention of the United Nations Special Rapporteur Alena Douhan who is scheduled to visit Zimbabwe to assess the impact of sanctions on the country from October 18 to 28.

“We are in the event of #COP26 and the special rapporteurs’ engagement is about to happen. Do you know what else has started? The Dramas,” Mangwana tweeted. “We are tired of the @mdczimbabwe provocations aimed at setting the agenda and stage for the coming UN Rapporteur on sanctions…,” Mugwadi also tweeted.

Yesterday, the MDC Alliance tweeted:

“Excessive roadblocks have been mounted in Masvingo following the arrival of president Chamisa. Police Zimbabwe are conducting illegal stop and search operations. They say they are looking for weapons.”

In a statement, MDC Alliance spokesperson Fadzayi Mahere said the arrival of Chamisa in Masvingo province saw ruling party supporters turn the area into a warzone.

“This political violence is unconstitutional; it violates our political rights enshrined in section 67 of the Constitution, and causes extreme concern,” Mahere said. -Newsday

Zanu Pf yesterday applauded own party stalwarts for the violence against opposition MDC Alliance in Masvingo adding that the people who stoned President Chamisa’s convoy and injured several MDC Alliance stalwarts did so within the confines of the law.

Said Zanu Pf in a tweet:

Well done Masvingo villagers

The villagers who demonstrated against @nelsonchamisa in Masvingo did so within the confines of law. Chamisa represents a violent organization which called for sanctions. Villagers were not violent. Chamisa is not immune from demos.

More details follow ……