Former Citizens’ Coalition for Change (CCC) leader Nelson Chamisa has been criticized over his statements regarding engagements with SADC over the Zimbabwean election disputes, reported CITE.
In a statement issued on Monday, Chamisa said the dispute emanating from the August 2023 election should be resolved before the next general elections scheduled for 2028.
However, participating in “This Morning on Asakhe,” political commentator Douglas Mandaza criticized Chamisa for pinning his hopes on SADC intervention, saying the former CCC leader was out of touch with the current sentiments of the people. Said Mandaza:
It’s nine months down the line, and people have moved on. He abandoned the party after frustration and stopped the politics.
Now he is coming in for SADC to go and do a roadmap. It seems like he is working backwards to remain relevant to the political discourse.
Nine months to try and change things is not going to work. People have moved on. He can’t make a solution by himself.
He needs to come together with all opposition members and civic groups to develop a collective strategy, not pursue individual efforts to force SADC’s hand. This approach feels like kindergarten politics.
Another participant, Bashona, said Chamisa was trying to manipulate public opinion after realising that his supporters are now sympathising with Job Sikhala. Said Bashona:
We need to be clear about people who want to lead us. Nelson Chamisa is not an amateur in Zimbabwean politics.
He joined at a young age and understands what needs to be done. He knows when and how it should be done.
He is a well-trained lawyer who understands Zimbabwean politics. He has been playing with our minds, reacting to how people have been accepting Job Sikhala in recent weeks.
Chamisa is worried that his supporters are now sympathizing with Job Sikhala. There is nothing new in what he is saying that he didn’t say in 2018.
It’s the same story with a different jacket. Another press statement might come in a few weeks just to keep you discussing his plans, but the reality is that the opposition has been in power in many towns and cities for 23 years. Show us what they have done to improve the electorate’s lives today.
Another participant said Chamisa should have pressed SADC to resolve the dispute soon after the August 2023 general elections. The speaker said:
This is a man many of us voted for in 2018 and 2023. At some point, we have to be honest. Chamisa should have acted immediately after the elections.
The iron should have been struck while it was hot. Now, it’s difficult to bend the iron when it has lost its heat.
As long as we keep talking about change through meetings, we are out of touch with what the streets are saying.
Tsepang Nare criticized Chamisa for quitting CCC before SADC had responded to the concerns he had raised. Said Nare:
Chamisa sought SADC’s indulgence, which was a good move. But then he decided to leave the party. Why did he leave when the issues were raised with SADC?
He should have waited for SADC to adjudicate and assist since he realized some things were beyond his power.
In his statement on 27 May 20224, Chamisa said he was waiting on SADC intervention to resolve the August 2023 electoral dispute. He said:
Upon and with your mandate, on the 26th of September 2023, we wrote to our regional body, SADC, the guarantor of the values and principles of the aspirations of the “common agenda” and “common will” of the people of Southern Africa.
On 23 October 2023 SADC responded to our request and advised that they were giving the matter due consideration.
Meanwhile, we have noted the various meetings the leadership of SADC has held, including the latest Extraordinary Summit of the Organ Troika on the 23rd of March 2024 in Lusaka, Zambia. Therefore, we have advisedly been patiently waiting on our request.
On the 29th of April, however, since considerable time has passed, yet we had sought to resolve this issue much earlier, we delivered our follow-up to SADC for which we await a response to determine a clear path forward to resolve the governance crisis and leadership dispute.
Our request to SADC was and remains very simple, that, as the regional body which Zimbabwe has signed up for membership and vested some authority in the supranational intergovernmental organization, we require their facilitation to resolve the issues around the irregular and disputed elections peacefully.
