Nyashadzashe Ndoro
Citizens Coalition for Change deputy national spokesperson, Gift “Ostallos” Siziba has hinted that party leader Nelson Chamisa is contemplating dumping the embattled party for a new organisation dubbed the Democratic Alternative in Zimbabwe.
In sending social media into a frenzy over the issue, Siziba – in a cryptic message – shared Chamisa’s picture surrounded by the colour blue and captioned: “The leader of the Democratic Alternative in Zimbabwe is Advo (sic) Nelson Chamisa.”
Chamisa formed the CCC party in 2022 after he lost the battle for the control of the MDC Alliance, the party he contested under in the 2018 Harmonised Elections.
He campaigned for the presidential position under CCC in the 2023 Harmonised Elections where he lost with 44% against President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s 52.6%. The opposition leader rejected the results as rigged. But he did not challenge the results in court.
Sengezo Tshabangu emerges
Soon after the plebiscite, Sengezo Tshabangu, an opposition politician, emerged claiming he was the interim secretary-general of CCC party.
He recalled dozens of party legislators and councillors, claiming they had ceased to be CCC members. Chamisa and the affected members went to court challenging Tshabangu’s actions, citing he was an imposter, but they lost.
The first batch of by-elections was held on December 9, 2023. The second batch, which includes Pelandaba MP Siziba, will be held on February 3 this year.
Tshabangu has since approached the High Court seeking an order to remove recalled party candidates who filed for the upcoming by-elections under CCC.
Factionalism and alleged Zanu PF interference
It is widely believed that Tshabangu is aligned to a CCC faction linked to veteran opposition politicians Welshman Ncube, Tendai Biti, and Thokozani Khupe who have allegedly been sidelined by Chamisa.
In public, Chamisa and his allies, however, accuse Zanu PF of sponsoring Tshabangu in order to weaken CCC.
“Stay away from CCC, hands off CCC, this is a citizens movement; you don’t just wake up one day from the streets in a drunken stupor to say I’m so and so,” Chamisa said of Tshabangu two months ago.
“In this movement, we do not have the position of secretary-general. We have different roles and tasks.
“In this movement, we don’t give each other positions, but we give each other tasks.
“Nobody can just wake up and recall our candidates.
“In fact, it is a Zanu PF scheme … Zanu-PF is using certain people purporting to be CCC, who are not even in our books in terms of membership registry.”
Against this background, Chamisa is seemingly contemplating on forming a new political party.
Munyaradzi Mashiri – Court CorrespondentA 28-year-old Aspindale woman has been arrested for conspiring with her husband to defraud more than 300 families in a bogus housing project.Hazel Tanyanyiwa ..
ZimbabweHappymore ChidzivaZim Now WriterCitizens Coalition for Change legislator, Happymore Chidziva, has been acquitted of rape after standing trial on three counts of sexual assault at the Harare Magistra..
ZimbabweOscar J Jeke – Zim Now ReporterShelter Zimbabwe, a private housing developer, has issued a stern warning of imminent demolitions in the Chizhanje area of Mabvuku, claiming the land was illegally occ..
Zimbabwe
Leave Comments