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Midlands Correspondent
Supporters of aspiring Gweru Urban MPs Mr Tedious Chimombe and Mr Sessil Zvidzayi are allegedly pulling down each other’s campaign posters.
Mr Chimombe, a former MDC-T official, is contesting the 31 July election as an independent while Mr Zvidzayi will be representing the MDC-T. The two are both former Gweru mayors.
Cde Christopher Gwatidzo of Zanu-PF is also vying for the same seat.
Mr Chimombe is accusing Mr Zvidzayi of “stabbing” him in the back by going around pulling down his posters while replacing them with his.
“I think Mr Zvidzayi is sensing defeat and is desperate to try and spruce up his already battered image when he was the Gweru mayor. He is going around with his team, pulling down my posters. I don’t know why he is fighting me instead of concentrating on his campaign. I decided to go independent after he influenced my dismissal from MDC-T but he continues to stab me in the back,” charged Mr Chimombe.
He said there was near chaos in Gweru’s Green Vale area after Mr Zvidzayi’s team allegedly drew out a gun and threatened to shoot Mr Chimombe’s campaign team while the rival groups were putting up posters.
“One of the people who were donning T-shirts bearing Mr Zvidzayi’s name and picture drew out a gun and threatened to shoot my campaign team if they dared put their posters near theirs,” he said.
Mr Chimombe said he was determined and would continue to campaign despite the intimidation.
“I know the people of Gweru will speak on the election day. We have worked for the city and have something to point at during our tenure compared to that of Zvidzayi when he was the executive mayor,” said Mr Chimombe.
Mr Zvidzayi, however, dismissed Mr Chimombe’s allegations.
He said Mr Chimombe’s team was actually the one going around putting their posters on top of his.
“They were caught red-handed but I have told my guys not to worry. I am not afraid of Chimombe and he is nothing in politics. I cannot fight bush politicians and in my campaigns, I am not even mentioning him because he is not a threat,” said Mr Zvidzayi.
Mr Zvidzayi also dismissed reports that he wailed at the Nomination Court after he allegedly failed to convince Zimbabwe Electoral Commission officers to block Mr Chimombe from using the open palm symbol in his nomination papers.
“You (the reporter) should look yourself in the mirror and be ashamed of yourself because you have become a Chimombe mouthpiece. How can you write blatant lies that I wailed at the Nomination Court as if you were there. Gweru residents know that I am a brave man and would not cry simply because an ordinary person like Chimombe used an MDC-T symbol. The people of Gweru should be laughing at you,” said Mr Zvidzayi.
Mr Zvidzayi tried to contest Mr Chimombe’s use of a symbol similar to that of the MDC-T at the High Court but the matter was rejected by the court.
Online Reporter