THE main opposition Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) will be launching its highly anticipated campaign tomorrow in Bindura, Mashonaland Central Province, ahead of the August 23 harmonised elections.
CCC president Nelson Chamisa will be facing a litmus test.
Recent events have left his party fractured.
Chamisa’s party was launched in January last year before shocking Zanu PF in by-elections held on March 26, winning 19 out of 28 parliamentary seats.
However, the opposition has had its fair share of challenges. It has been heavily criticised for lacking structures, and, more recently, the chaotic selection of candidates.
Chamisa and his party have been playing their cards close to the chest, saying they feared infiltration.
This is how he came up with his “Strategic Ambiguity” strategy. The strategy saw the opposition party adopting four stages in its candidates selection process, which eventually led to controversial double and triple candidates.
Several of its officials are now contesting as independent candidates. The outcome of this strategy has somehow proven to be chaotic with some analysts calling it “strategic confusion”.
- Chamisa party defiant after ban
- Village Rhapsody: How Zimbabwe can improve governance
- News in depth: Partisan police force persecutes opposition, shields Zanu PF rogue elements
- Chamisa chilling death threat bishop defiant
Keep Reading
Rather, CCC has cast all the blame on the ruling party, Zanu PF, state security agents and other affiliates of Zanu PF. The fact that the chaos around the opposition was emanating from the opaque candidates selection process should surely be blamed on its leadership.
Confusion around the submission of nomination papers, and even late presentations, should also be CCC’s baby to nurse.
Blaming all the confusion around the “strategy of ambiguity” on Zanu PF is only tantamount to CCC shooting itself in the foot. Proper political gamesmanship borders on admitting mistakes and finding a way forward.
It has become clear that CCC and Zanu PF are two sides of the same coin.
At a time when Zanu PF has switched on its campaign juggernaut, CCC is still battling various litigations in court and also dowsing fires around double candidates.
The CCC has also threatened to drag some candidates to court for forging officials’ signatures to file nomination papers. Some voters in Bulawayo have filed 11 cases challenging the acceptance of CCC nomination papers by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission after the mandatory cut-off time of 4 pm at the nomination courts.
The CCC has already lost 92 council seats to Zanu PF after failing to field candidates due to the “shambolic” candidate imposition exercise.
Already, Zanu PF has launched its campaign in Chipinge, and well-subscribed rallies were witnessed in Bulilima, Matabeleland South, and another one beckons in Mashonaland West.
It cannot be ruled out that if indeed Zanu PF had a hand in the confusion, the CCC created a fertile ground for infiltration.
