By Elizabeth Sitotombe
ON Sunday, June 16, police arrested interim leader of the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) Jameson Timba and 70 other activists for holding an unsanctioned political meeting.
Earlier last week, the CCC dispatched a letter to ward, constituency and cluster co-ordinators, highlighting the party’s plans to utilise various platforms such as churches, social gatherings and international functions to mobilise for massive and potentially violent demonstrations with the aim of tainting the August 17-18 Ordinary SADC Summit to be hosted by Zimbabwe.
The security sector was very much alive to these shenanigans.
To kickstart their putsch, the party agreed the launch would coincide with the June 16 massacre of oppressed black schoolchildren in 1976 by the diabolical South African apartheid regime.
The volte face of going pan-African and commemorating iconic events associated with progressive countries — for all the wrong reasons — when they fail to commemorate their own, such as Heroes and Defence Forces’ Days, among others, was clearly lost on them!
On this day they were to gather and mobilise youths, women and men from every ward. The infamy was orchestrated by Wellington Ruzvidzo, Innocent Zvaipa, Dickson Tarusenga, Lovejoy Chitengu, Samuel Meso, Eric Murai, Chamunorwa Tembo, Miriam Katumba, Darlington Madzonga, Gift ‘Ostallos’ Siziba, Jason Kautsa, Maria Masa, Lovemore Maiko, Rangarirai Mutingwende, Jabulani Mtunzi, Edith Mundiya, Webster Maondera, Darlington Madzonga, Wellington Chikombo and Peter Marange(pictured).
They had initially planned to meet at No. 3 Glamis Road, at a property owned by Benjamin Maimba, but then decided to meet in Waterfalls at the house of one CCC activist identified only as Pundo.
Law enforcement authorities were closely monitoring these individuals’ activities. Following a tip-off, police descended on Pundo’s house where six people were arrested, including the owner of the house.
The CCC then decided to switch to another secret venue in the form of Jameson Timba’s house at No. 6 Down Close, Avondale. They did this without official authorisation, thereby breaching Section 37 of the Criminal Law Codification and Reform Act.
Meanwhile, similar gatherings were taking place in Bulawayo and Chinhoyi.
The Patriot is also reliably informed that there are plans for demonstrations at the Beitbridge Border Post during the SADC Summit.
Upon arrival, Avondale Police tried to access the premises but were stoned by youths on Timba’s instructions.
When police reinforcements arrived, about 100 youths fled Timba’s house in all directions, with some jumping over the wall into neighbours’ properties which eventually led to the arrest of 77 activists, including Timba himself.
Not only did the mob resist arrest but resorted to pelting the police with stones leading to a violent clash, resulting in some CCC members getting injured in the process.
ZRP national spokesperson Paul Nyathi confirmed the arrests.
On her X handle, former CCC Mount Pleasant legislator Fadzayi Mahere and many other opposition members gave embellished versions of their own, clearly for the benefit of the international community for whom they strive to paint a bleak picture of events in Zimbabwe: “Timba gave use of his home to youth activists who wanted to commemorate International Youth Day which is the anniversary of the June 16 Soweto Uprising. It was a private commemoration that would include a braai and other youth-focused activities. He left them at it while he went to celebrate Father’s Day with his son who is about to go to university in the US. He received a call a while later to be told that armed riot police had blocked off his home and thrown teargas into his garden. He immediately drove home with his son only to see the police arresting everyone at his home (including tenants who had nothing to do with the meeting and those randomly walking in the road he lives in. They were beaten severely with baton sticks (sic). He was arrested on arrival.”
For the record, Jameson Timba is a former Minister of State in the Office of the Prime Minister of Zimbabwe and former Deputy Minister of Media, Information and Publicity. He was Nelson Chamisa’s chief election agent in the 2018 harmonised elections and was recalled from his position of Senator by interim CCC secretary-general Sengezo Tshabangu six months ago. Timba is reportedly eyeing the vice-presidency in the yet to be launched Blue Movement and has nearly come to blows with other Chamisa allies vying for the same position, including ‘Ostallos’ and Amos Chibaya.
‘Ostallos’ has also tried to do away with his adversary by accusing him of demanding US$300 from Diasporans seeking confirmation letters to support their asylum applications. The accusations, however, fell on deaf ears as Chamisa appears to be leaning towards those willing to do his bidding and lead the pack in causing anarchy in the country.
But the UK-based Professor Stephen Chan, who is sympathetic to Chamisa, suggested that this may have been a testing of the waters by Timba “. . . as to how far he can go and to what extent he can lead without being in the shadow of Chamisa”.
The Second Republic is working diligently to transform the country into an upper-middle income economy by 2030. Meanwhile, the SADC Summit will take place as scheduled.
As they say, barking dogs will not deter an elephant. The same applies to saboteurs in our midst who will get their just desserts.
