Zimbabwe: CCC Adopts Door-to-Door Campaigns After Police Bar Several Opposition Rallies

Nelson Chamisa (file photo).

OPPOSITION Citizens Coalition for Change has resorted to door-to-door campaigning as part of efforts to mobilise voters following the barring of over 90 of its rallies by the police for various reasons.

Police have blocked several opposition rallies citing reasons ranging from lack of adequate police resources, and inaccessible roads to poor sanitation at the venues.

In one of the door-to-door campaigns in Glen View South, CCC pulled a large crowd of followers who left their homes offering to aid the party's aspiring National Assembly and Council candidates, Grandmore Hakata and Gaudencia Marere respectively.

Within 10 minutes into the door-to-door campaign, the police instructed the CCC candidates to turn away the crowds.

Police armed with baton sticks and teargas canisters were visible prompting some party supporters to return to their homes.

Speaking on the sidelines of the door-to-door campaign, CCC's nominee, Hakata said the method has proved to be an effective way to hear the voters' concerns in Glen View South.

"Our decision to do door-to-door campaigns are as a result of restrictions coming from the police and we are actually worried about that because we are supposed to be doing rallies but our party is being denied the permission to do rallies in the whole country," Hakata said.

Responding to this publication's inquiry of how the door-to-door campaigning was fairing and the rapid response by the police to bar some people to help, Hakata said:

"We have a big number of people that are now following us. The response is overwhelming. I think the move by the police is actually working on our side because we are now targeting the actual voters. It might be a disadvantage to us but we are progressing."

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