Tshabangu Claims Smear Campaign Impacted By-election Performance
CCC activist Sengezo Tshabangu, who claims to be the party’s interim secretary general, has blamed his erstwhile colleagues for campaigning against his candidates in the 09 December 2023 by-elections.
ZANU PF won seven out of nine contested seats which were previously under the CCC.
The nine seats fell vacant after Tshabangu recalled their representatives in October claiming that they had ceased to be members of the party.
CCC leader Nelson Chamisa also fielded candidates ahead of the by-elections but they were disqualified by the courts less than two days before the elections.
In an interview with the Chronicle, Tshabangu said despite losing to ZANU PF, they were encouraged by the performance of their candidates. He said:
We had hoped to get all five available seats in Bulawayo, but we won two.
This is no mean feat in the face of an active de-campaign strategy by some of our former members who resorted to deliberately spoiling the papers and abstinence as a solution.
This eventually led to ZANU PF gaining an advantage. Nonetheless, we congratulate our candidates who did very well and lost by very small margins in testing circumstances.
We are encouraged by our performance everywhere else and we know that better organisation of the party will see it rejuvenated to its former vibrancy.
Tshabangu said CCC had already started preparations for an elective congress as part of the road to the 2028 national elections.
He, however, did not disclose when and where the congress will be held.
More: Pindula News
