Political Reporter
Tensions within the opposition came to the fore yesterday as several senior Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) members absconded from a scheduled meeting chaired by that party's Harare Provincial Taskforce chairperson, Eric Murai.
A source close to the matter revealed that the decision by the CCC senior members to skip the meeting stemmed from fears of being targeted for public embarrassment due to their perceived lack of support for Nelson Chamisa following his departure from the CCC.
According to an insider, the meeting held in Belvedere, Harare, allegedly had an agenda aimed at humiliating members who were not openly aligned with Chamisa.
"The meeting's agenda included plans to embarrass members who were not seen as fully supportive of Chamisa's leadership. Approximately 100 individuals were instructed to physically assault prominent figures such as Charlton Hwende, Tendai Biti, Jacob Mafume, and others if they had attended," the source disclosed.
Furthermore, it was reported that Murai explicitly stated that allegiance to Chamisa superseded loyalty to the CCC.
"Murai made it clear that, despite still operating under the CCC banner, their ultimate loyalty lay with Chamisa. Anyone perceived as opposing Chamisa was labelled a sellout and an enemy of the opposition movement," the source added.
Faced with the looming threat of public humiliation, Hwende and other targeted members opted to stay clear of the meeting.
However, reports suggest that they are strategizing to strengthen CCC structures and assert independence from blind allegiance to Chamisa.
Meanwhile, the meeting chaired by Murai had intended to organize a Citizens National Assembly gathering to address the fate of members following Chamisa's departure. However, the meeting was abruptly aborted as attendance was scant, with several members failing to provide reasons for their absence.
Political commentator, Calvin Chitsunge, said that plans to embarrass Hwende and others underscored the deep-seated divisions and power struggles within the CCC, with the fallout following Chamisa's departure continuing to reverberate throughout that party.
