Low Turnout At Chamisa Rally In Maphisa

By Paul Nyathi| MDC-T President Nelson Chamisa got a very rude awakening when just under a thousand people turned up at his rally at Maphisa growth point on Thursday afternoon.

The rally was held at the growth point Business Centre which is just a few kilometres away from the notorious Bhalagwe Gukurahundi Concentration Camp where thousands of people were killed and thrown down the disused mine shafts.

MDC-T and MDC officials in the MDC Alliance coalition which hosted the rally would not comment on the cause for the low turnout at the rally.

Chamisa has been enjoying huge attendances at rallies that he has held throughout the country with his biggest crowd at White City Stadium in Bulawayo reaching an estimated 30 000 people.

One of the organisers of the rally who would not be mentioned blamed the low turnout at the rally on poor planning on the side of the MDC Alliance leadership and also on the dominance in the area of the Matabeleland regional party Mthwakazi Republic Party.

“The rally was generally poorly planned and timed” said the MDC member.

“We got notice that Chamisa will be coming just three days before his scheduled date and it was bound to be difficult to mibilise,” he said.

“Above all this area is dominated by Mthwakazi Republic Party which has attracted a lot of attention from people here,” he said

After the near flop rally in Maphisa, Chamisa takes his campaigns to Umzingwane District where he is set to hold a rally at little known Mawabeni Business Centre in the morning before proceeding to Gwanda for another rally later in the afternoon.

Chamisa will complete his Matabeleland South rallies with a rally in Beitbridge on Saturday.