Political Reporter
The Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) party has failed to field a candidate to contest in the upcoming Mutoko Rural District Council (Mutoko RDC) Ward 9 by-elections scheduled for 3 December this year amid reports that the Mugwazo mobilisation strategy has dismally failed.
A source who spoke to this publication said that CCC resolved not field a candidate in Mutoko Ward 9 by-elections after realising that they would be clobbered by ZANU PF.
“CCC failed to field a candidate to contest as councillor for Mutoko RDC Ward 9. The party realised that Mutoko is a ZANU PF stronghold and they resolved not to field a candidate in fear of humiliation,” said the source.
The same source added that initially, there were two CCC members who had shown interest to contest, but they chickened out after realising that their party was less popular in Mutoko.
“Those who wanted to contest on behalf of CCC chickened out after realising that they would not match the ZANU PF candidate. To save face, these potential candidates are lying to the people that they misplaced their birth certificates, hence they couldn’t submit their papers at the nomination court. They are even fabricating lies that they were intimidated by ZANU PF members not to contest in the coming by-elections,” said the source.
The source added that failure by CCC to field a candidate was testimony that the Mugwazo rural mobilisation strategy has failed to gain traction. The source added that if CCC were surely convinced that the Mugwazo strategy was working, they should have contested the Mutoko Ward 9 by-elections so that they could evaluate the effectiveness of the strategy ahead of the 2023 harmonised elections.
According to the source, the CCC Mugwazo strategy was being affected by lack of party structures within CCC as there is no one appointed to superintend the mobilisation exercise.
The same source added that CCC was contemplating sending an inquiry team comprised of that party’s interim Secretary for Elections, Ian Makone, CCC Chief of Staff, Trust Mamombe and interim Organising Secretary, Amos Chibaya to ascertain the state of that party in Mutoko ahead of the forthcoming plebiscite.
Meanwhile, there are reports that there are massive disgruntlements within CCC over lack of party structures as the scenario was affecting that party’s mobilisation programmes ahead of next year’s elections. Some senior CCC members are reportedly arguing that without structures, CCC will not be able to mount an effective electoral challenge against ZANU PF.
