Several councillors elected on the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) ticket attended a recent meeting in Bulawayo addressed by former party members Gift “Ostallos” Siziba and Amos Chibaya.
The CCC councillors risked being recalled by a faction led by activist Sengezo Tshabangu who had been on a recalling spree since October 2023 which ultimately resulted in ZANU PF attaining a two-thirds majority in the Lower House of Parliament.
As reported by CITE, Siziba and Chibaya are laying the groundwork for a new political movement led by former CCC leader Nelson Chamisa.
The meeting was held at McDonald’s Hall in Mzilikazi on Sunday and the attendees wore blue T-shirts with the words Democratic Alternative in Zimbabwe.
According to CITE, some of the CCC councillors who attended Sunday’s meeting included Ward 9 Councillor Donaldson Mabuto, Ward 21 Councillor – Tinevimbo Maphosa, Ward 22 Councillor – Bruce Mmeli Moyo, Ward 26 Councillor – Mpumelelo Moyo and Victoria Falls councillor Ephias Mambune.
The meeting was also attended by some recalled officials such as former Ward 1 councillor Shepherd Sithole, former Lobengula-Magwegwe MP Eric Gono and former MP under Proportional Representation Stabile Mlilo.
In his address, Siziba accused ZANU PF of trying to destroy the “authentic alternative in the country” but praised people for coming out to show that they “support Chamisa.”
He described Tshabangu as “a madman” after he initiated recalls of several CCC MPs and councillors last year.
Siziba said “In his madness, he was not the only one,” adding that he had brought a “charge sheet” that would reveal the names of those working with Tshabangu. He added:
Others are trying to revive (the late, MDC leader Morgan) Tsvangirai’s spirit, forgetting that when he was alive, they also troubled him, saying “he was uneducated.” They even planned to remove him from his post…
I want you to know them so that you are not misled by such characters. They are busy removing people from Parliament. We were not born in Parliament.
We were not born in council. Parliament and council are not the destination. The destination is freedom and democracy for the people of Zimbabwe.
Siziba also criticised CCC leaders who claimed they were elected at the 2019 Gweru Congress, in apparent reference to Tendai Biti and Welshman Ncube. He said:
There’s no such thing as a standing committee in the people’s movement. The MDC is the past, it’s not the future. The future is with Nelson Chamisa and the people.
They said they are educated, politics is not about being educated. The school of politics is the people, not to say, ‘I am the VP, I am the one who said this’ and another individual woke up in Harare saying he is the Secretary-General (probably referring to Charlton Hwende).
We are facing forward and the president (Chamisa) said clearly that the CCC is no longer the vehicle that will take Zimbabwe to the promised land.
Those who want CCC can take it. People are very clear they want Chamisa, not that VP or that SG. Others want positions and are being helped by ZANU to maintain positions.
Formed two years ago, CCC is now leaderless after Chamisa dumped the party last month alleging infiltration by ZANU PF.
Biti, who recently reaffirmed that he was the party’s vice president, has been quiet and it is not yet clear who will take over from Chamisa as the leader of the party.
Source Pindula News
