Staff Reporter

As the August 23, 2023, elections draw closer, rallies play a crucial role in conveying a party's message and garnering support. Recently, Citizens Coalition for Change leader

Nelson Chamisa's campaign launch rally, which took place in Gweru, garnered significant attention due to the striking contrast between a strong turnout and poor delivery of the message. This apparent mismatch between crowd enthusiasm and an ineffective message left many questioning the efficacy of Chamisa's campaign strategy, the Harare Post can report.

A source within the senior ranks of the CCC party expressed his disgruntlement over Chamisa’s failure to deliver a coherent and impactful message at his Gweru campaign launch rally.

"Political rallies serve multiple purposes, primarily to inspire, engage, and inform present and potential supporters. I would say Chamisa had an exceptional opportunity to harness the energy of the crowd and present a compelling narrative that would resonate with his followers and attract undecided voters. Instead, his delivery fell short of expectations, leaving his audience perplexed and frustrated," said the source, who refused to be identified.

At the Gweru rally, Chamisa showed his insensitivity toward the plight of land, choosing to please his handlers by promising to reverse land ownership among the locals and give it back to the former colonial masters.

"Nyaya ye land is an important point, wese akabviswa pa land anofanira kudzorerwa, totangira ipapo. (The issue of land is an important point; all those who were removed from their farm lands should be given back their land; that’s where we will start from," said Chamisa.

Reiterating echoes within the CCC that Chamisa should not be given a mic and an opportunity to address people because all the time that happens, he doesn’t know what to say and so digresses and spoils everything.

"Effective messaging is a cornerstone of any successful political campaign. Unfortunately, during the Gweru rally, Chamisa's speech hit a sensitive nerve as he touched on the issue of land, which he mentions without clarity or coherence. Important policy proposals were either vague or entirely absent, leaving the crowd struggling to discern his vision for the country. This lack of clarity on the issue of land hindered his ability to build trust and communicate a clear roadmap to reach his desired goals," said the source, who denied being identified.

Political analyst, Tonderai Chikore argued that the impressive turnout at the Gweru rally was ultimately overshadowed by the shortcomings of Chamisa’s message, which effectively challenged the incumbent, who exhibits a cohesive and impactful vision for Zimbabwe's future.

"President Mnangagwa is ten steps ahead of Chamisa, having walked the talk.  For the record, he has brought healthcare closer to the people in rural areas by building clinics through devolution funds. He has addressed issues of infrastructural development by constructing roads such as the Harare-Beitbridge and the Harare-Chirundu roads. The country’s entry/exit points, such as the Beitbridge border post and the Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport, have both received a modern facelift, while more than 153 schools have been built in the last five years that he has been in power, as well as the USD12 billion Mining Economy by 2023 that has attracted investors as well as created employment for the people.

"Chamisa continues to sell the people a dummy, and I think people are now seeing through all the empty promises. His speech in Gweru lacked passion and a persuasive speaking style. His words fell flat, failing to leave a lasting impact on the crowd and ultimately diminishing the value of the rally," said Chikore.

However, this is not the first time that Chamisa has been exposed for failing to articulate and address pertinent issues to the people during his rallies. At one point, his former spokesperson, Dr Nkululeko Sibanda, once criticized Chamisa for making ludicrous electoral promises, while describing the promises to build spaghetti roads, airports in villages, and bullet trains as madness.  Dr Nkululeko labeled the promises as madness, as that could never be a reality even if the country managed to retain a surplus in its coffers. At one point, during a Sapes Trust policy dialogue, outgoing Harare East legislator, Tendai Biti praised Zanu PF for its people-centered policies. He admitted then that while Zanu PF sold practical realities, his party only sold hopes and dreams.