Taurai Masamba

As this year’s general elections draw near, most members of the Citizens Coalition for Change are getting disillusioned by their leader, Nelson Chamisa’s poor leadership of the party and the consequent diminishing chances of a meaningful electoral performance this year.

So frustrated are the party members that members of Chamisa’s inner circle and dyed-in-the-wool CCC supporters are increasingly venting their anger with the young opposition leader by openly using social media platforms as well as the mainstream media.

Chamisa torched a storm last week when told the NewsDay that his party would not boycott this year’s poll and said that his party was ready for the elections.

“We aim to win big to seal the presidency. Two-thirds in Parliament and choose both Speaker of Parliament and President of the Senate. We must attain a majority in local authorities. Citizens, let’s do it again,” he told the daily paper.

This did not go down well with some of his supporters who feel that he was not doing enough to ensure that the party had high chances of trouncing ZANU PF in the plebiscite.

In this regard, an ardent CCC supporter who is known for calling a spade a spade and uses the social media moniker, Zandile/ @maDube, fumed. She accused Chamisa and his inner circle of not worrying whether or not the party won elections because politics had become a source of livelihood for them.

“Despite (the alleged) massive evidence of rigging, opposition elite will never consider boycotting #2023Elections because to them politics is a source of employment and opportunities,” she tweeted yesterday.

Zandile had tweeted last Saturday questioning Chamisa’s wisdom in choosing to participate in the forthcoming elections before Government has effected the so-called electoral reforms which the opposition has been pushing for.

“Are we really ready for POLLS without REFORMS? Chamisa's failure to fight for reforms will cost the opposition,” she said.

This angered many CCC members and elicited a number of responses from a number of the party’s members and groups who descended on her fighting in defence of Chamisa. These included CCC interim Secretary General, Charlton Hwende, who himself has fallen out with Chamisa. Hwende highlighted that burden of ensuring that electoral reforms are in place before the next polls was a burden that should be shared by all Zimbabwean and not just Chamisa and the opposition.

This is not the first time that opposition members have expressed their disquiet and doubt over Chamisa’s ability to upstage President Emmerson Mnangagwa in this year’s elections.

In November some unnamed members of his inner circle expressed to NewZimbabwe.com their concern for Chamisa’s poor leadership pedigree and inability to win this year’s Presidential election. They bemoaned his dictatorial tendencies and general lack of political tact.

“The opposition will not win if Chamisa continues like this, that I can assure you. As long as we do not change our approach and choose to maintain this soft stance we will not unseat Zanu PF,” a senior CCC member told the publication on condition of anonymity for fear of victimisation.

“Chamisa has chosen to make enemies out of people who have been giving the party sound advice, critics who are doing so out of love for the party and desire to see a better Zimbabwe. We cannot honestly come out to speak against him openly, but a lot share these views,” he added.

Despite his claims of popularity, electoral odds are ranged against Chamisa and his party who have no constitution, a meaningful and compelling ideology and structures on the ground. Their chances of a poll victory are very slim given the very poor stewardship of the 28 urban local authorities which are under the CCC’s watch.