adminWalter Mswazie, Masvingo Correspondent
ROWDY suspected MDC Alliance youths in Masvingo caused a stir on Sunday when they harassed a ZBC television crew covering the party’s rally at Mucheke stadium where their president Mr Nelson Chamisa was addressing.
The youths, who appeared drunk, hurled obscenities at the crew and took away an umbrella from the public broadcaster’s cameraman Pullen Siampepu who was protecting a camera from showers which lashed the ancient city.
An MDC Alliance member wrestled the umbrella from the youths who seemed bent on humiliating the reporters.
They accused the public broadcaster of being biased and reporting inaccurately about their party.
“ZBC TV should cover Chamisa in a fair and positive manner. You are being used by the ruling party and we do not want to see you here as you are a biased lot,” said one youth from the crowd.
“Whether you keep reporting lies or not, Chamisa is going to win resoundingly and very soon you will lose your jobs as he will be in control of the national television. Better you get soaked in the rains, you are useless,” shouted one of the youths as he snatched the umbrella.
Mr Chamisa ignored the incident as it unfolded in full view of European Union observers.
However, he reportedly apologised to the ZBC crew after the rally.
In his address, Mr Chamisa said: “Once I am in power, I am going to ensure that Tugwi-Mukosi Dam starts to benefit people through massive irrigation.
The dualisation of Beitbridge-Chirundu road will be done by a reputable contractor as my government will do proper tendering of capital projects.”
He said if elected president of the country, a feat he described as inevitable as he had more supporters than Zanu-PF, provinces will be renamed to address issues of tribalism.
Mr Chamisa said he would ensure that the defunct Cold Storage Company (CSC) would be resuscitated and start to benefit local people through employment.
“We will bury the bond note and do its memorial service at the same time before we reintroduce a basket of currencies. We will do this for some time before we resuscitate our manufacturing industry, mining and other sectors which will support the reintroduction of our own local currency. CSC will also be resuscitated,” he said.
Mr Chamisa criticised the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec) for what he described as going to bed with Zanu-PF.
He claimed that the independent electoral body was biased in favour of the ruling party but his party was not going to boycott the harmonised elections.
“We are not going to boycott this election as winners cannot boycott. We are going to participate in the election on condition that Zec produces a genuine ballot paper; we do not want a bond ballot paper. They are making jokes saying that they have printed the ballot paper, we will not listen to that. We do not want anyone to have his hair cut in his absence.”
President Mnangagwa’s administration has completed a developmental master plan for Tugwi-Mukosi which will see local people benefiting from 25 000 hectares of irrigable land.
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