Taurai Masamba
Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) leader, Nelson Chamisa’s world is collapsing around him as most of the party’s supporters are getting disenchanted with him in view of the ongoing internal crisis.
The recalls which were instigated by CCC interim secretary general, Sengezo Tshabangu, to checkmate Chamisa’s undemocratic tendencies and the ongoing successive losses at the courts by that party and its lawyers have exposed Chamisa’s poor leadership pedigree and his low depth in terms of the ability to lead a modern African opposition party.
The social media comments that are being posted on the CCC’s X platform handle by the party’s deputy spokesperson, Gift Siziba, are worsening an already bad situation as they are demonstrating that the leadership is way out of sync with the feelings and expectation of the opposition outfit’s grassroots members.
On Saturday, Siziba made his usual posts criticising and denigrating ZANU PF and Government as part of the CCC’s efforts to whip its supporters’ emotions against President Emmerson Mnangagwa.
“The regime in Harare continues to abuse courts. ZANU PF fears the upcoming by-elections they unlawfully created. They know they can't win fair elections in Zimbabwe, hence their attempt to remove our candidates from the ballot. ZANU PF has destroyed every institution in our country,” he posted excitedly.
Instead of the usual CCC supporters’ chorus response of “ZANU PF must go” Siziba and his coterie in the party’s national leadership were freely served with very uncomfortable truths about the reasons why the party is in a mess.
“If the August elections were fraudulent, why did you allow your MPs to be sworn in?” queried one Ashe Mudzukwa.
Another supporter, Unathi Ndebele, pointed out that by claiming that the recalled CCC candidates’ names would be on last Saturday’s ballot paper, Siziba was lying to the party’s supporters.
“Why this guy (Siziba) lying so much? It's not up to you to determine if the candidates will be on the ballot. You are confusing people. ZEC said they won't and here you are lying to the people,” Ndebele commented.
Liberty Mhlakaza blamed CCC’s political woes on the lack of leadership and poor organisation in the party.
“Organise yourselves first before blaming ZANU PF. Why do we have elections after elections? (And) you blame ZANU-PF? Rongekai,” he commented.
Other supporters took no prisoners, shot from the hip and did not mince their words. They told the party’s leadership that it had squandered the supporters’ trust and had failed.
“(You are) busy commenting on what ZANU PF is doing without proper action. We're really doomed, we trusted you guys and put our hopes in you for fighting for democracy but you've dismally failed.
“Blaming ZANU PF while failing to sort your own problems is the reason why you find yourselves in this situation. Sort out your in-house mess and have a clear party constitution that cannot be exploited by anyone. You have lost to Tshabangu. Restrategise now or perish,” said one @Sigo071.
When the party used its X platform to rally its supporters to vote for its candidates on Saturday, its members would have none of it.
“Let the citizens rise up and win over the dictatorship in Zimbabwe. Stay resolute, and never be swayed by distractions. The regime in Harare lacks legitimacy, which is why they fear the citizens' movement led by President Nelson Chamisa,” the party said on its handle but its members were not excited.
“(The so-called) dictatorship you criticise on the ruling party is now visible in CCC also. Lack of structures and democratic values in the so called alternative government makes it incompetent. To challenge the ruling party and win the opposition has to be better than it is now. It has failed. That is the reason it loses,” commented a netizen who uses the name Dynamic Ministries.
One supporter criticised the CCC leadership’s decision to participate in by-election occasioned by recalls which they viewed as illegal.
“But literally how do you participate in a by-election of illegal recalls, (and) like it’s not enough, you field the same recalled candidates who will be disqualified because they were recalled. We need real politicians and not politicians who act like puppets!” said one supporters who only identified himself as Meadows.
