Nelson Chamisa, leader of the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC), has resigned from the party, blaming Zanu PF for contaminating it through orchestrating a string of illegal schemes and inducing defections to undermine its viability as an alternative.
According to Chamisa, CCC was “bastardised, hijacked by Zanu PF through the abuse of state institutions” while party members were also corrupted by schemes of “personal aggrandisement, positions, title, benefits, trinkets and trappings of office”
Chamisa’s departure comes as CCC recently turned two, having been formed in 2022 after Douglas Mwonzora wrestled the MDC Alliance from him.
Recently, Chamisa was fending off more challenges caused by Sengezo Tshabangu, posing as the CCC’s interim secretary general, who recalled several elected members of Parliament and councillors.
“A contaminated, bastardised, hijacked CCC cannot deliver a New Great Zimbabwe! But then God’s grace is sufficient! Indeed God is in it,” Chamisa quipped, adding one day, Zanu PF would be conquered.
“… this Zanu PF you see today, you will see it no more. Our God has opened a new way. Unfortunately, the road is narrow and I have to meet the demands of my assignment. The citizens of Zimbabwe will be set free from the hands of oppression.”
Confirming his departure, Chamisa said: “This is to officially, and under my hand, inform you fellow citizens of Zimbabwe and the world, that, with immediate effect, I no longer have anything to do with CCC.”
He, however, stated, he will remain active in public service and hinted that he may embark on a new political project.
The former CCC leader called upon all citizens to “rally behind fresh politics, new politics and genuine fresh and credible leaders who want to serve and not to be served.”
“I also remain a loyal citizen listener, freedom advocate, citizens’ champion and leader. My focus remains fully on Zimbabwe, asserting your victory, honouring the citizens’ mandate and God’s calling to provide leadership,” Chamisa said.
“There are fresh things we need to do. Let’s all work together for total freedom, true change and holistic transformation for our beloved country. Giving up or giving in is not an option. Nothing comes without tenacity and resilience.”
He promised to keep his followers posted on the next step and thanked all citizens who supported him in his efforts to build a “New Great Zimbabwe.”
“Let us embrace the opportunities that lie ahead. Change is coming soon! God bless you. #Godisinit” Chamisa said.
According to Chamisa, CCC was conceived by prayer, whose aim was to place God and the citizens at the centre of all decision-making making but this “test was not passed and the purpose was not served.”
In a 13-page statement released on Thursday, Chamisa mourned how CCC was criminally handed over to Zanu PF but said infiltration was expected as various schemes and carrots were dangled to party members.
“We are being thrown into a river with hungry crocodiles, but clearly in our view I will refuse to swim in a river with hungry crocodiles. We need to extricate ourselves from the shenanigans. I will have nothing to do with sewer pond politics,” he said.
“Zanu PF can take everything that we sweated for, take the party and its name, take the money and whoever is a beneficiary of this fraud, is a certified fraudster.”
Despite the challenges CCC experienced during the build up to the 2023 elections, Chamisa said the party participated to “give you the citizens, a fighting chance.”
“You noticed the intimidation and violence (psychological and coercive) unleashed on the citizens of Zimbabwe during and after the elections, particularly in rural Zimbabwe,” Chamisa said, highlighting that over 100 CCC rallies were banned as the party also battled the use of lawfare.
“You would have noticed the devilish and unashamed attempt by the incumbent to disqualify our candidates (12 MPs in Bulawayo and various others). You would have noticed an unprecedented number of electoral legal petitions before the elections which resulted from the incumbent’s attempt to stop fair contestation.”
He also lamented that Emmerson Mnangagwa and Zanu PF “proceeded to declare themself-winner” yet election observer reports had pointed out the election’s irregularities.
“This formed what is evidently an illegitimate and disputed Government,” he said, claiming that thereafter President Mnangagwa “embarked on a process to consolidate authoritarianism by decimating the genuine alternative.”
“This was realised through various illegal methods and criminal stratagems including the infiltration of the alternative and capture of various other stakeholders resulting in engineered illegal recalls, financial mismanagement of the country’s resources and ultimately resulting in the collapse of our economy and our social collapse. This is where we are now…”
Chamisa also saluted the citizens for their resolve to see change in Zimbabwe and that the steps he was taking now were “‘in defence of that commitment.”
“What is being fought is your refusal to yield to systematic disenfranchisement and the sham process,” he said.
“The incumbent has been seeking to fraudulently secure a false and fallacious two-thirds majority in Parliament. …So, this is a strategy to claw back on the citizens’ victory, by taking criminally all they could not secure through their governance record.”
