Staff Reporter
Former Vice President Joice Mujuru’s Zimbabwe People First party got a rude awakening in Victoria Falls on Sunday when just about 100 people turned up for the party’s rally in Chinotimba Township.
The rally originally meant for Chinotimba Stadium was moved from the stadium to the township’s open space football pitch after the party failed to raise $100 required by council to hire the stadium.
The few people who attended the rally most of whom were party members from Bulawayo followed proceedings from their houses and under trees a distance away from the podium.
The few who braved the scorching sun
complained about being misled especially after the party organisers failed to stick to time set and failed to even give them
water to drink. Some dismissed the party as being broke judging
from a “tattered” tent at the venue.
The rally was addressed by Cougan Matanhire who is part of the party’s secretariat in Harare.
Victoria Falls war veteran and businessman Christopher Ndiweni, who is the party’s member of the national security, Maxwell Makhosini Mkandla, the coordinator for Matabeleland North
Province and his counterpart for Bulawayo province Esnath Bulayani, also addressed the gathering.
Speaking to media after the rally, Mkandla said that he was happy with the number of people who attended the rally as it was only the first public meeting for the party in the resort town.
Residents around Chinotimba township however blamed the party for poor publicity as most were not aware that there was a Zimbabwe People First rally taking place in the area. The residents claim that they would have attended the rally to hear more about the party had the message about the rally been sent throughout the township.