Former Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) leader Nelson Chamisa says he has been meeting various people including villagers, community, and opinion leaders as he maps his political move after he left the country’s main opposition party in late January this year.
Chamisa announced his resignation from CCC on 25 January alleging ZANU PF infiltration after party activist, Sengezo Tshabangu, who claims to be the interim secretary-general, was given carte blanche by State institutions to recall the party’s elected representatives.
Chamisa’s close allies, led by former legislators Amos Chibaya and Gift Siziba have been moving across the country, mobilizing support on his behalf.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with NewsDay, Chamisa said he was not focusing on forming a political movement, but on forming a new government. He said:
I have been meeting people. I have been to the countryside. I am meeting people in villages, community leaders, opinion leaders, and traditional leaders.
I am meeting people personally and it is an amazing show of confidence and hope. People are so committed.
Zimbabweans are prepared to whatever extent for change to be realized in Zimbabwe.
It’s like the spirit of the liberation struggle indefatigable and indomitable. Zimbabwe needs a new government, not just a new movement.
Since leaving CCC, Chamisa has met several diplomatic representatives in the country, including Canadian Ambassador to Zimbabwe Adler Aristilde and British Ambassador to Zimbabwe Pete Vowles, to discuss various political issues. He said:
I am leaving no stone unturned to make sure that the will of the people prevails.
As to what practical steps I am going to take, I am doing wide consultations with the citizens and opinion leaders. I will announce very soon what the next step is.
What must come is something that cannot afford to fail, because we do not have that luxury.
We have so many stones that have to be turned and these are local stakeholders, labour, the church, students, women’s groups, farmers groups, and traditional leaders, beyond our border and within the region Sadc [Southern African Development Community], AU [African Union] and all those stones need to be turned and I am glad that the response that I am getting from both within and beyond is amazing.
Chamisa refused to accept the outcome of the August 2023 presidential election after President Emerson Mnangagwa was declared the winner.
SADC and other international election observer missions said the elections fell short of regional and international standards. Said Chamisa:
There is an unresolved national question of leadership. It can’t be a closed chapter, when a student has failed an examination, it can’t be the end of the story.
There must be a proper examination and proper qualification out of a system and process.
SADC passed the verdict that the Zimbabwe election did not pass the election credibility test. No discredited process can produce a credible outcome.
