Staff Reporter
Opposition party, Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC), received a grant worth US$3.5 million and is set to receive 70 Toyota Hilux GD6 vehicles for use in their campaigns for the upcoming 2023 Harmonised General Elections.
A source within the CCC revealed that Chamisa indicated that their party received US$3.5 million from United States (US) Embassy, British Embassy, Swedish Embassy and their allies.
Source further disclosed that the money will be channelled towards the hiring of CCC polling agents, and confirmed that Chamisa has already received six of the expected 70 Toyota Hilux GD6 vehicles which will be used for Mugwazo rural voter penetration project.
“During the meeting, Chamisa advised us that the party received US$3.5 million from US embassy, British embassy, Swedish embassy and other European allies. Chamisa said this money would be used to lure polling agents who will be operating in various stations around the country. Chamisa said six of the donated 70Toyota Hilux GD6 vehicles had already arrived and that the vehicles will be used in the CCC Mugwazo rural penetration programme,” said the source.
The source also said Chamisa advised his party that he expected the selection of their party candidates for 2023 elections to be done by 22 December 2022. Members were also advised that selection for candidates would be conducted through a consensus system. This attracted resistance from senior members who are of the opinion that Chamisa wants to ring fence his favourite factional youths whilst neglecting old horses.
“Chamisa also advised members in the meeting that the candidates selection would be done by 22 December 2022 and a consensus system would be used to select candidates. Senior members are not in favour of this system because they feel Chamisa wants to ring fence and impose his favourite youth faction whilst neglecting the old horses,” said the source.
According to the source, Chamisa promised those leading the Mugwazo that they will form the core of the party leadership. The promise was meant to pacify the Mugwazo coordinators who had threatened to abandon the programme which they are funding from their personal pockets. He implored them to continue funding the programme, a sacrifice that he said would pay dividends. Funding by the US and its allies to CCC is one of the many ways in which the West is abetting regime change in Zimbabwe Recently, the Swedish government gave CCC a grant of US$220 000 to stage protests that were expected to force government to release Job Sikhala whilst the US government donated a further US$110 000 to facilitate payment to Amsterdam and Partners law firm to represent Job Sikhala in court.
