……. However, the lingering question remains: Will President Chamisa opt to depart from CCC and form a fresh political party?
24th January 2024
Wezhira Munya
Today marks the two-year anniversary of President Nelson Chamisa’s Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC), which faces significant challenges from the ruling ZANU-PF party and its allies.
President Chamisa formed the CCC on January 24, 2022, after leaving the MDC T [Alliance] party. This decision was prompted by ZANU-PF’s manipulation of the courts to install Douglas Mwonzora as the leader of the MDC-T, resulting in the downfall of the MDC under Mwonzora’s leadership.
The recently launched CCC party utilized the color yellow as its distinctive identity, which quickly became synonymous with the political landscape of Zimbabwe and even extended beyond its borders.
In 2023, President Chamisa’s largest campaign rally under the CCC party attracted an impressive turnout of over 100,000 Zimbabwean citizens. Notably, these attendees were not coerced or transported to the rally by means of buses or lorries; rather, they voluntarily chose to participate. However, it is worth mentioning that there were instances where the police resorted to firing tear gas to disperse CCC supporters who were present at President Chamisa’s rally. For instance, in Masvingo, tear gas was deployed at Mamuste Stadium a few days prior to the harmonized elections on August 23, 2023. Despite such obstacles, the significant attendance of citizens at President Chamisa’s rallies and other gatherings solidifies the belief that he is the most popular politician in Zimbabwe.
The MDC’s failure to secure any votes in the March 2022 by-elections further demonstrated this decline.
In contrast, just two months after its formation, the CCC achieved a remarkable victory by winning 19 out of 28 by-elections held on March 26, 2022. This accomplishment is even more impressive considering the obstacles faced by President Chamisa and his party, including election rigging, biased state media, and violence against their campaign. It reflects the widespread discontent with high-level corruption and the government’s economic mismanagement.
The March 2022 by-elections were necessitated by the recalls by Mwonzora and the deaths of several parliamentarians and councillors, which created vacancies in 28 seats. Of these, the CCC won 19 seats, securing a 68% victory, while ZANU-PF won 9 seats, representing 32% of the total. Meanwhile, the once-dominant MDC-T, under Mwonzora’s leadership, failed to secure any parliamentary or council seats.
In addition, during the March 2022 by-elections, the CCC also won a significant number of council seats across Zimbabwe. Out of 122 council seats, the CCC secured 75, accounting for 61.5% of the total, while ZANU-PF obtained 47 seats, representing 38.5%.
For example, in Masvingo urban’s Ward 3, Rocky Kamuzondo of the CCC received 1137 votes, defeating ZANU-PF’s Taurai Bucho Mudzviti, who received 476 votes, and Mwonzora’s MDC-A candidate, Vembo, who received 51 votes. Similarly, in Ward 4 of Masvingo urban, CCC’s Tabe won with 660 votes, while the ZANU-PF candidate received 134 votes and Mwonzora’s MDC received 21 votes. Comparable results were seen in Ward 5, where Mberikunashe of the CCC won with 469 votes, surpassing ZANU-PF’s Wadzai with 280 votes and Mwonzora’s MDC with 18 votes. In Ward 7, Masvingo urban, Musekiwa of the CCC emerged victorious with 1342 votes, defeating ZANU-PF’s Dohwa with 408 votes and Mwonzora’s MDC with 35 votes. Chidhindi Lead Masarira received only 2 votes.
The CCC, a party that emerged just two months prior, competed against long-established parties like ZANU-PF, formed in 1963, and the MDC, formed in 1999.
Looking ahead, the CCC, under President Chamisa’s leadership, contested the harmonized elections against ZANU-PF on August 23, 2023. However, the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and other election observers declared these elections as “sham, rigged, and unfair.”
According to the disputed results released by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC), ZANU-PF’s President Mnangangwa received 2,350,711 votes, while President Chamisa of the CCC received 1,967,343 votes. This translates to 52.60% for ZANU-PF and 44.03% for President Chamisa.
Furthermore, ZANU-PF secured 177 parliamentary seats, while the CCC obtained 103 seats, denying ZANU-PF a two-thirds majority.
Moreover, the CCC won 33 out of 34 urban and town council mayoral positions after winning all urban and town councils. The CCC dominates in urban areas, while ZANU-PF narrowly won in rural councils.
Throughout the entire electoral process, the CCC faced numerous challenges, including arrests, killings, and displacements of its candidates by ZANU-PF members. However, despite these adversities, the CCC persevered.
In an attempt to secure a two-thirds majority in parliament, ZANU-PF created a proxy and a fake CCC interim Secretary General named Sengezo Tshabangu. Tshabangu, formerly a member of the PDP party led by advocate Tendai Biti, wrote a letter on October 3, 2023, to the Speaker of Parliament, Jacob Mudenda, recalling 16 CCC members. These recall efforts were based on the claim that these members had ceased to be part of the political party under which they wereelected.
Tshabangu is also alleged to have signed nomination letters that resulted in the emergence of CCC double candidates in the August 23, 2023, harmonized elections. He continues to recall President Chamisa’s CCC members of parliament and councillors.
Interestingly, Tshabangu is failing to field candidates in the constituencies where he has recalled President Chamisa’s candidates. As a result, ZANU-PF is winning these uncontested constituencies and wards.
This has reinforced the belief that Tshabangu is a proxy for ZANU-PF.
The main question in Zimbabwe’s political landscape is whether President Chamisa will form a new party or continue to fight for the CCC?
President Chamisa will provide an answer to this question when he delivers his speech to the nation.
One thing that is clear in Zimbabwe is that President Chamisa is popular, and Zimbabweans are ready to support him under the CCC or any new party he may form.
