Candidates imposition accusations rock CCC
By Elizabeth Sitotombe
While the ruling Party worked tirelessly to ensure their primary elections were democratic, the same cannot be said of the opposition as Zimbabwe readies for harmonised general elections between July 26 and August 27 this year.
The CCC candidate selection, or rather candidate imposition, exposed the opposition for what it is. Chamisa set an elections commission composed of civil society leaders and Zimbabwe National Students Union (ZINASU) members.
The team, according to insiders, is already in possession of Chamisa’s line-up and the whole process was just a formality.
Not to be missed is the clear relationship between the CCC and CSOs. The CSOs in this country have been known to work with the opposition to foment anarchy in the country. Of course they have always denied this and continue to do so.
Our publication has previously exposed these entities as proxies of Western countries which are advocating illegal regime change in the country.
On the list was Commission chair and presiding officer Rashid Mahiya, director of Heal Zimbabwe Trust (HZT).
HZT is an NGO publicly touted as a ‘peace building group’ well known for manufacturing false incidences of politically-motivated violence while taking advantage of every chance they get to spread messages of regime change.
The former Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition (CiZC) chairperson is not new to controversy. On March 29 this year, he was summoned at the Harare Magistrates Court to answer to charges of subverting a constitutional government as defined in Section 22(2)(a)(i) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act.
Mahiya unlawfully connived with some unidentified accomplices in convening a meeting at Wild Geese Conference Centre in Pomona, Harare, between December 3-6 2018.
According to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), deliberations made at the said meeting were aimed at overthrowing the Zimbabwe Government by unconstitutional means or usurping the functions of the Government or to coerce Zimbabwean workers to engage in acts of boycott, civil disobedience or passive resistance to law.
Committee members of this panel overseeing the CCC primary elections also include Women’s Academy for Leadership and Politics Excellency (WALPE) director Stabile Dewa. Dewa pretends to be training women from all political parties under WALPE, yet in reality she is a CCC activist on regime change sponsorship from the Americans. She also worked as a deputy director for HZT.
See how the dots connect!
In 2009, she underwent a training workshop organised by a Serbian non-governmental organisation called Centre for Applied Nonviolent Action and Strategies (CANVAS) with the intent to subvert a constitutionally elected Government of Zimbabwe. The workshop was in the Maldives. She, together with her counterparts, was also trained on how to operate small arms and evade arrest.
Mahiya and Dewa were fingered in a money looting scheme. The two were alleged lovers who managed to siphon funds from CiZC and used some of it to sponsor CCC activities.
All these CSOs have always claimed to be non-partisan.
On the committee is also ZINASU leader Boris Tadiwanashe Muguti.
Muguti replaced Benoni Ncube after the latter failed to get along with Chamisa’s sidekicks Ostallos Siziba and Fadzayi Mahere.
Other names featuring on the committee include computer engineer Tawanda Moyo, ZINASU activist Allister Pfunye, Bulawayo Progressive Residents Association director Rodrick Fayayo and Citizens Manifesto programmes co-ordinator Vivid Gwede
Word on the street is that the old guard are unhappy with this selection.
“Madhara epolitics akatanga politics in 1999 Muguti aive kana nethree years azvarwa. Mahumbwe kutora kidsnet to determine candidature of such big people. Imagine Muguti accessing nomination for a person like Muris Zwizwai”, scoffed one disgruntled member of the party.
Lawyer Webster Jiti’s offices, located on the Third Floor of Beverly Court, Corner Nelson Mandela and Simon Muzenda Street (formerly Fourth Street) will be used as CCC Provincial Command Centre.
Jiti himself is contesting in Harare South.
Meanwhile, incarcerated Job Sikhala is accusing Chamisa of dumping him and working to ensure he remains in jail as he, Chamisa, sees Sikhala as a threat to the throne.
“They are afraid of my shadow. But it becomes unbearable when you are betrayed by one who you trusted with your political career, your future and your very life.
But l will come out, wait and see what will happen when l do. Betrayal is by its very nature, is very painful.
They connived to keep me here at all cost. Apparently l’m suffering for my perceived popularity which some people feel threatened by. But honestly you do not betray a struggle comrade in this manner.”
Sikhala spoke emotionally from his cell.
Failing to contain their anger, the CCC responded: “Correction, Hon Job Sikhala is not the vice-chairman of CCC Zimbabwe. That designation belonged to the MDC Alliance and doesn’t pertain to the new organisation.”
Talk about the Judas’s kiss. If the party can put such effort to denounce him why not put as much effort standing in solidarity with him and his family!
Sikhala is incarcerated after allegedly inciting violence in Nyatsime and obstructing the course of justice.
And the CCC has clearly failed Sikhala — they have thrown him under the bus, sacrificed him on the altar of personal interests and self-preservation.
Even Hopewell Chingono is on record saying the CCC betrayed Sikhala.
But all this does not matter at this point, for Chamisa has reverted to political default mode.
Even Welshman Ncube was publicly humiliated and told he was not the party’s secretary-general.
In a show of support that Sikhala clearly commands over Chamisa, many CCC supporters angrily asked the party to delete their tweet.
Blessed Mhlanga, one of CCC’s staunch supporters, responded by saying: “Shame, very shameful. Everyone knows Job Sikhala continued to play the role of Vice-Chairperson of CCC up to the time he was arrested, this tweet is shameful and pointless.”
The tweet was deleted, but the damage had already been done.
Indeed we cannot expect much from a group of ideologically bankrupt people, who would sell the country for 30 pieces of silver.
Now, back to the sham of candidates selection.
Contents of the Citizens and Community Consensus Candidate Selection Procedures documents showed that those with little education were barred from representing the party in the upcoming elections.
Chamisa demanded that all parliamentary candidates be able to read and interpret legislation and national policies, while council candidates were supposed to have the ability to read and interpret council legislation, administrative by-laws and policies.
It is has always been clear that Chamisa has a preference for those who have degrees and hold high levels of education that is acceptable to him, hence people like Luke Tamborenyika found themselves being marginalised despite holding an influential post the late MDC-T president Morgan Tsvangirai’s line-up.
While it might seem to be a very good idea, many of the CCC members who spoke to this publication feel those with less education but are popular members of the party and have the ability to win votes for the party should not be excluded.
To prove this point, the candidate selection programme turned out to be shambolic. At Warren Park Creche, CCC nomination process was forced to stop as the attendees were protesting that their names were not appearing in the registers.
People had to disperse while nomination officers were whisked away by incumbent MP Shakespeare Hamauswa.
At Dzivarasekwa Two, forms were snatched by some street champions and people dispersed.
At Domboramwari, Epworth, and Denmark, Waterfalls, the nomination presiding officers did not show up.
At Tripple V, Ward 43 Budiriro, Chimbiri and Matsunga supporters fought like baboons.
In Rugare, there was chaos after the presiding officer had informed CCC supporters to group according to their streets and have consensus nominations of preferred candidates. Majority supporters were chanting that the process had to stop, accusing Mazingaidzo of attempting to influence the process fraudulently with money.
The people demanded a secret ballot. In the end they all dispersed.
The process was also forced to stop at Trafalgar Court. The presiding officer ducked a blow from angry supporters and ran into Harare Gardens while Gladys Hlatshwayo was beaten by angry members who saw pre-written papers with her name on them.
Willias Madzimure was chased out of Kambuzuma Section 2 Hall. People were claiming he did not belong to Ward 14. He was bitter and complained that the process was not free and fair.
Presiding officer Sithabile Dhewa and her team fled form Kuwadzana 2 Community Hall after violence and fighting erupted.
On the other hand ZANU PF successfully conducted its primary elections. In a clear show of democracy, many new faces emerged. The youth were not left out. The party showed zero tolerance for those with backgrounds that might put the party into disrepute. Those who perpetrated violence, drug lords and cheats were disqualified.
Judging by the high number of voters who turned up at the primary elections, CCC has a mammoth task ahead.
At this point they are headed for a humiliating defeat which they will obviously blame on rigging and many other flimsy excuses.
–The Patriot
About Post Author
