OPPOSITION leader Nelson Chamisa’s shocking decision to quit the CCC caught the party’s parliamentarians, councillors and mayors flat-footed while causing widespread confusion and panic within the rank and file of the party.
OWEN GAGARE
He abandoned the party, saying it has been “infiltrated, contaminated and bastardised” by Zanu PF and its political agents.
This comes as opposition CCC leader in the House of Assembly Clifford Hlatshwayo is set to convene a caucus of MPs next week to discuss the way forward.
CCC is also currently looking for new leader after Lynette Karenyi -Kore turned down an offer to be interim leader.
Legislators who spoke to The NewsHawks revealed they were caught unawares by the decision since they were not consulted before the announcement.
Some party officials phoned The NewsHawks when Chamisa made the announcement as they sought to verify whether the news was true or false.
Some CCC legislators and councillors informed party supporters in groups that the information was false, only to backtrack when they realised that Chamisa had indeed quit.
One of the party’s vocal legislators sent a WhatsApp message to our reporter Ruvimbo Muchenje asking for information, soon after the news broke out.
“I don’t know how true this is,” a Harare legislator asked in a message accompanied by screen shots of Chamisa’s message.
When told it was true, he said: “All this without consultation and proper information dissemination. We hope to hear him speak at a Press briefing.”
Harare East legislator Rusty Markham was the first legislator to react to Chamisa’s message through his X account.
“FOR THE AVOIDANCE OF DOUBT AND FOR THE SAKE OF CLARITY – I STAND WITH NELSON CHAMISA,” he said.
Several other legislators took to social media to express support, including Mt Pleasant legislator Fadzai Mahere.
“There’s no legitimate CCC without our Change Champion in Chief. There’s no legitimate Parliament without respect for the will of the people. I stand by Adv @nelsonchamisa’s decision and join him in leaving the charade. I remain committed to fighting for true democracy and better lives for all Zimbabweans. To those who believed, voted and supported, I owe you my deepest gratitude. I will be communicating with you directly soon to map a way forward,” Mahere said.
Takudzwa Ngadziore Harare Youth Quota MP said: “Mr President Sir @nelsonchamisa! We are with you until the realisation of a New Great Zimbabwe. The statement is a clear reflection of the hard-hitting context we face, the shambolic state of affairs. We are with you until the end. I stand with your vision & next step.”
Whange Central MP Daniel Molokele said he would follow Chamisa’s vision.
“Just like the old MDC, the CCC was not a destination but a political vehicle to the ultimate destination of a new Great Zimbabwe. And so the political journey must continue with or without the CCC … Chamisa is the one who has the vision for a new Great Zimbabwe. #Godisinit,” Molokele said.
Although many MPs expressed support on social media, several of them said they did not know what Chamisa’s plan was.
Some said they would wait and see the trajectory Chamisa takes before deciding what course of action to take.
“Many of us do not know what to do, because we are unaware of the vision. At this stage, we are not sure if he intends to form another party or not. I am sure we will be expected to run with his vision but it’s quite unfair given that there were no consultations. Most people I have spoken to were caught by surprise, perhaps only a few people know what the plan is,” said a CCC legislator.
Chamisa announced he was quitting the CCC in a 13-page statement addressed to the people of Zimbabwe.
“This is to officially, and under my hand, inform you fellow citizens of Zimbabwe and the world, that, with immediate effect, I no longer have anything to do with CCC,” he wrote.
Chamisa’s bombshell came after an internal implosion of the CCC following self-imposed secretary-general Sengezo Tshabangu’s dramatic and arbitrary recalls of its MPs, senators and councillors through brazen political subterfuge, supported by the executive, Parliament and the judiciary, as well as Zanu PF, spearheaded by state security agents.
Tshabangu took advantage of the CCC’s amorphous structure, lack of constitution and office-bearers to claim interim leadership through a self-appointed committee of his Bulawayo-based allies to destroy the CCC.
The decision has however left CCC MPs loyal to him in the lurch as well and vulnerable to further recalls and decimation.
Chamisa said: “As you may be aware, the CCC idea was an idea we prayerfully conceived. The original idea meant to place Our God and the Citizens at the centre of all decision making. This test was not passed and the purpose was not served.
“The original CCC idea has however been contaminated, bastardised, hijacked by Zanu PF through the abuse of state institutions. CCC has not been aligned to its founding Purpose and Mandate. Further, CCC has now been rendered an extension of and been taken over by Zanu PF.
“CCC has, to all intents and purposes, been criminally handed over to Zanu PF. Our politics has been defiled by schemes of personal aggrandisement upon a runaway pursuit of politics of positions, title, benefits, trinkets and trappings of office. A contaminated, bastardised, hijacked CCC cannot deliver a New Great Zimbabwe!”
