Staff Reporter

The Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) is facing internal scrutiny as members accuse the party of failing to pay its polling agents for the 2023 Harmonised General Elections.

In a recent disclosure to our publication, a source who preferred anonymity said that several CCC polling agents approached Charles Madhiwa, the CCC Director of Elections, voicing their grievances about the party's inability to disburse the promised funds to them.

According to the source, the heart of the controversy lies in the fact that the funds designated for the polling agents were reportedly made available.

The source stated, "It's particularly unsettling for the polling agents because they are certain that donations were received by the CCC, earmarked specifically for their compensation, amounting to US$100 per agent as a token of appreciation."

In response to the allegations, the source said Madhiwa asserted that the party was in the process of confirming the identities of those who served as election agents before releasing any payments.

According to the source, Madhiwa maintains that no funds have been disbursed to anyone as yet.

Compounding the situation, the source further indicated that some disgruntled polling agents were hinting at revealing discrepancies in areas the CCC claims to have won in the recent election.

Meanwhile, this is not the first instance where the CCC's organisational skills are under the microscope. They previously faced challenges in the 2023 Harmonised General Elections, struggling to produce sufficient V11 forms due to the absence of polling agents in particular stations.

Historically, this issue seems to be recurrent for that party. In 2018, when the CCC was known as the MDC-Alliance, there were similar complaints, with over 50000 polling agents claiming they were not remunerated for their services during that year's elections.