Zanu PF national political commissar Mike Bimha says the ruling party believes in competition and have no fear following reports that party youths were behind the violence that erupted in Kwekwe during a Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) rally.
Addressing journalists during a weekly party press conference, Bimha said all parties should be given opportunities to market themselves.
“I am not aware of that in terms of banning. I believe that as we go into elections all parties should be given the opportunities to go and sell what they want to do as a Government. Despite that we are in government, despite what we have done which is there for people to see, we have something to show that this is something that we have done since the new dispensation came.
“We expect every party to market itself, I would say we like the competition. We would like as many political parties as possible to come on board so that we can run the race together and obviously whoever wins the majority of the elections in terms of voters will carry the day. So we have no fear, we would not want to run a race where we run it alone otherwise there is no competition. As a party we would like to compete, we are ready and we will win but we need to win in a free and fair manner. That’s why as a party we do not condone violence, we want fair play,” said Bimha.
The Zanu PF political commissar said the violence that occurred in Kwekwe was ill-fated and the party does not need votes through violent tactics.
“There has been violence which is unfortunate. As a party we don’t condone violence from whatever quota in whatsoever province because we believe that we need to market ourselves. We need the electorate to vote for us not because we beat them up but because we can deliver, because we have a track record of where we came from, what we are doing and where we are going. We don’t violence to get people to like us.” Bimha said.
Violence broke out at CCC’s Kwekwe rally resulting in the death of one person while tens were left hospitalised after sustaining injuries.
The violence has been widely condemned with the ruling party coming under fire from human rights advocacy groups who have since pleaded for peace ahead of the 26 March By-elections.
