Zimbabwean journalist, Hopewell Chin’ono has discouraged the opposition Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) from pulling out its Members of Parliament saying pulling out all the lawmakers would worsen “cracks” in the party.
His remarks came after the Speaker of Parliament, Jacob Mudenda, announced that 15 CCC MPs had been recalled at the instigation of Senggezo Tshabangu who claims to be the party secretary-general. Some analysts have urged the CCC to pull out its MPs in protest but Chin’ono disagrees. He said:
I have seen calls for CCC to pull out all its MPs from parliament in protest to yesterday’s ruling by the speaker of parliament.
My view is that pulling out in masse adds no value unless you have a nuclear option to take on the regime on another terrain.
Political decisions should be based on strategic thinking and not emotions and anger alone.Pulling out all MPs will accentuate the cracks in CCC because as I said last week, parliament is a job for many of our MPs both in CCC and ZANUPF.
Pulling them out is removing the means to earn a living for them for the next five years unless you have a plan on what will happen after you pull out.
Some CCC MPs will defy Nelson Chamisa if he orders a pull out, and it will further loosen his grip both on the party and national politics.
Being popular without instruments to effect tangible political decisions is pointless.
The journalist suggests that it is better to let ZANUPF and its supporters in parliament make “ridiculous” rulings. He said this exposes their actions to the rest of the world. Chin’ono says South Africa’s former Finance Minister Dr Tito Mboweni criticised the recalls by the speaker of parliament as ridiculous. If Nelson Chamisa had withdrawn his MPs without the recalls, there would be no response from people like Dr Mboweni. The journalist advises not to make it easy for ZANUPF, but rather to stay in parliament until they are illegally removed, allowing the world to witness it. He also recalls advising the later former Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai against not contesting by-elections, which resulted in ZANUPF gaining seats and leaving those constituencies without proper representation. He added:
If Chamisa pulls out all his MPs, ZANUPF will do what it has done in the past, ZEC will say it has no money for by-elections and we will have a ZANUPF parliament until 2028.
Is that what you want? Let us learn from history and not make the same mistakes.
Unless CCC has a nuclear option, those MPs should stay in parliament, but if CCC has a viable option that won’t allow another five years of a ZANUPF parliament, then they can do it.
Chin’ono said leaders must prioritise strategic decision-making over decisions that are simply popular with their supporters. He said if the CCC, were to withdraw their MPs from parliament, they would be granting an effortless victory to ZANU PF. Chin’ono said ZANU PF does not value parliamentary legitimacy and does not operate based on moral principles. Therefore, it is important to focus on strategic considerations rather than moral conduct, as ZANU PF does not adhere to a moral compass.