Former finance minister Makoni launches election campaign
1. Wide of
Bulawayo city hall
2.
Simba Makoni banner over city hall
3.
Close up of
Makoni election campaign leaflet in member of audience's hand
4.
Audience listening to Makoni
5. SOUNDBITE: (
English) Simba Makoni, presidential candidate: ++includes cutaways++
"We want to heal the wounds that represent our nation today. We want to remove the fear that permeates in all our lives and we want to mobilise each other so that we can get our country working again."
6. Wide shot audience at city hall clapping Makoni's speech
7. Crowd at
White City Stadium cheering Makoni, and carrying Makoni campaign posters
8.
Tilt up from Makoni campaign banner to Dabengwa on stage at stadium
9.
Mid shot of Dabengwa addressing rally
10. Makoni addressing rally at stadium
11. Man listening
12. Wide of Makoni addressing rally, leading chants, audience responds
13. Mid shot Makoni leading chants, audience responds
14. Cheering audience
15. SOUNDBITE: (English)
Vox Pop, supporter of Simba Makoni:
"He has been with the people in the party,
ZANU-PF, and he is the bold guy to stand up and say no to him (
Mugabe) so I can say that
I am with the guy because he is bold."
16. SOUNDBITE: (English) Vox Pop:
"
Personally I will never put my vote for him (Makoni)."
(
Reporter: Why won't you vote for him?)
"I suspect that he was sent by the Mugabe to divide the vote for the opposition."
17. Makoni and
Dumiso Dabengwa walk through
White City stadium to cheers from crowd
STORYLINE:
Zimbabwe's former finance minister Simba Makoni held his first election rally on Saturday and celebrated the defection of a respected member of
President Robert Mugabe's ruling party inner circle to his side.
Dumiso Dabengwa, a former government minister and current member of the ZANU-PF politburo, announced his support for Makoni at a rally attended by 4,000 people in the second largest city of Bulawayo.
The defections were a major blow to Mugabe, whose once iron grip on his party has weakened since Makoni announced last month that he would stand as an independent in presidential elections on March 29.
Prior to that, the divided opposition
Movement for Democratic Change were the only challengers to the 84-year-old autocrat.
It is unclear how much support Makoni has from the ZANU-PF elite, although analysts say he enjoys the backing of other senior figures.
"We want to heal the wounds that represent our nation today. We want to remove the fear that permeates in all our lives and we want to mobilise each other so that we can get our country working again," Makoni told business leaders in Bulawayo on Saturday.
Later, Makoni held a rally in the city's White City stadium.
One man explained why he supported Makoni.
"He has been with the people in the party, ZANU-PF, and he is the bold guy to stand up and say no to him (Mugabe) so I can say that I am with the guy because he is bold," he said.
But another man said he would never vote for Makoni.
Asked why he replied: "I suspect that he was sent by Mugabe to divide the vote for the opposition."
Makoni was due to hold a rally in the capital
Harare on Sunday and hoped to announce that other senior figures have joined his campaign.
The main Movement for Democratic Change faction, led by
Morgan Tsvangirai, has said it will not support Makoni.
But a smaller faction, which counts Bulawayo as its stronghold, has thrown its weight behind Makoni.
Dabengwa's support on top of that is likely to ensure he wins more votes than Mugabe in Bulawayo.
Dabengwa said he dropped his allegiance to Mugabe after many years of unquestioning loyalty because the December party congress, which nominated Mugabe as the only candidate, was manipulated.
Dabengwa was not present when Mugabe launched his re-election campaign on Friday.
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