FORMER MDC Alliance legislator for Mutasa South, Regai Tsunga has claimed that suspected Zanu PF supporters were intimidating his Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) supporters to surrender their party regalia.
Tsunga, who was recalled from Parliament by the MDC Alliance led by Douglas Mwonzora and now represents the CCC in elections, lost the seat in the March 2022 by-election.
In an interview with NewsDay yesterday, Tsunga said he was worried about widespread intimidation against his party supporters.
“My supporters are being asked to surrender their party regalia to Zanu PF and denounce my party,” he claimed.
“My supporters are being visited at their homesteads and the situation is sad. I am talking to the party leadership on how we should deal with the matter because I know this is going to only get worse as we are going to the elections.”
Zanu PF Manicaland chairperson Tawanda Mukodza, however, dismissed the allegations as baseless saying the former legislator was depressed by his low CCC party’s grassroots support in the district.
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“We are dismissing the allegations and we don’t engage in violence as a party. We know that this is a way to tarnish the image of my party. We just believe that the CCC fears defeat in the upcoming elections,” Mukodza said.
“We are reaching every corner of Manicaland, doing our campaigns and encouraging people to register to vote.”
On Sunday, Zanu PF Manicaland provincial spokesperson Albert Nyakuedzwa, however, said they were sweating over their councillors allegedly clandestinely supporting the CCC.
Addressing hundreds of Johanne the 5th of Africa Church in Rusape, Nyakuedzwa said: “As I was coming here, I received a phone call about our councillors who are now supporting CCC more than they support us (Zanu PF).”
He could not name the councillors when he was contacted in a follow-up interview.
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