by Senior Political reporter
The low turnouts at the MDC Alliance rallies have further caused sleepless nights for the beleaguered youthful leader of that party, the Harare Post can report.
Nelson Chamisa was last week left with an egg on the face after only a handful of people attended his rally at Zimre Park Community Hall in Ruwa with another rally at Best Ebenezzer Primary School in Caledonia being aborted due to low attendance.
An insider who confided in this publication said Chamisa had gone to Ruwa under the guise of National Tree Planting Day commemorations. However, he had to bus people from Harare after his advance team informed him that the people of Ruwa had shunned the rally.
"The president (Chamisa) instructed the Organising Department to bus people from Harare so that he could have an audience to address. This was after he was informed by his advance team that included Councillor John Gumbo and Goromonzi South legislator Reuben Chikudo that there were no people at Ruwa and Caledonia. Chamisa later addressed the rally after people from Harare had arrived," said the insider.
The insider further said Chamisa later aborted the Caledonia rally to avoid further embarrassment.
"Gumbo and Chikudo told Chamisa that he should abort the Caledonia rally. Although he (Chamisa) insisted that he wanted to go to Caledonia, he later gave in after Gomba and Chikudo highlighted to him the impending embarrassment,” added the insider.
The same insider revealed that at Ruwa rally, Chamisa said the country's economy improved during the Government of National Unity (GNU) era and he told the attendees that he was advocating for another GNU.
"In Ruwa, Chamisa said the country's economy stabilised during the GNU era and he said he wanted another GNU. He went on to plead with the people to be patient with him as he devised a political strategy suitable for the MDC Alliance. He also blamed ZANU PF for the houses that were demolished in Budiriro last week," said the insider.
The insider further said Chamisa bemoaned the defection by the MDC Alliance members to either ZANU PF or MDC labelling them as as "sellouts who are only motivated by money."
Political analyst, Tashinga Chabayanzara said the poor attendance at Chamisa's rallies was a signal that the electorate had lost faith in him.
“This is a sign that people have lost confidence in the MDC Alliance. Ruwa and Caledonia are perennial MDC strongholds and we expected Chamisa to attract a huge crowd. The poor attendance is therefore a wakeup call to Chamisa to realise that his support base is dwindling.
"It’s not the first time for the MDC Alliance rallies to attract only a handful of people. There are reports that the MDC Alliance's country wide One Million Voter Mobilisation programme is also attracting paltry crowds. Last week in Midlands, the MDC Alliance was forced to abort a meeting at Khayalethu Lodge after only 27 people pitched up. They later went to Amaveni Stadium where there was a youth soccer tournament and addressed about 125 people.
Meanwhile, another source within the MDC Alliance said that party was planning to stage sporadic demonstrations across the country starting this Wednesday, to protest against the recalling of councillors and legislators by the Thokozani Khupe led MDC T.
The source said MDC Alliance was blaming ZANU PF for the recalls and they have vowed to make the country ungovernable until the Government bows down to their demands for by-elections in wards and constituencies where members were recalled.
The intended demonstrations which are being organised by MDC Alliance’s Director for National Organising and Party Building, Farai Chinobva, are supposed to intensify in Harare and Bulawayo while elsewhere, only Wards and Constituencies affected by the recalls are expected to join the demonstrations.
