Nelson Chamisa, the former leader of the opposition Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC), is making his next political move apparent by sending his supporters to rallies in Manicaland. Videos and pictures shared on social media show Gift ‘Ostallos’ Siziba, former legislator for Pelandaba-Tshabalala, and his team mobilising people in Manicaland to support Chamisa and prepare for their next steps. Chamisa resigned from the CCC on January 24, 2024, citing infiltration and hijacking of the party by ZANU PF and its allies.
After the rally in Manicaland, Siziba posted on social media, stating that they had set the tone and direction for the future. He wrote:
Building from the rubble: we have landed in Manicaland province as we set the tone and direction towards the new!
During his speech at the rally, Siziba criticized power-hungry politicians within the CCC. He emphasized that being a Member of Parliament should not be prioritized over transforming the lives of the people. he said:
Pawakauya kumusangano hauna kumboti wavinga kuita MP… Chakatanga ndochakachenjedza. Kwatave kuenda tave kunogadzira chinhu chedu nenguva yedu. Vanhu vese mavaona mese, kuti uyu akamira so, uyu akamira so. Kana ozouya otaura kuti ndipei muudze kuti mira. Struggle yedu yatora nguva nevanhu vanoda zvigaro. We must focus kuchinja ugaro hwevanhu vese and hugaro hwemunhu wese hunochinjwa navaChamisa. Tanga tichivaona mapicture paInternet. Vadzosera zvigaro zvekuMDC. Nyenyenye ndiri Vice President, nyenyenye ndiri Secretary General. Hakuna, hakuna zvigaro izvozvo muparty yavaChamisa… Vatengesi kwasara nguva shoma, very soon tinenge tava kuvataura nemazita. [When you came to the party, you never said you wanted to be an MP. We learnt from past experiences. We are moving forward to creating our own thing when we want. You have seen all the people, you know where one stands. When they come asking for posts, tell them no. The struggle (for freedom) has taken long because of power-hungry individuals. We must focus on transforming the lives of every Zimbabwean and Chamisa is the only person who can bring about that transformation. They posted on social media claiming to be Vice Presidents and secretary generals, but there are no such posts in Chamisa’s party. Those posts were in MDC. It’s only a matter of time until we name and shame the sellouts.]
Siziba assured the crowd that Chamisa would work towards bringing about this transformation. He also accused ZANU PF of using Sengezo Tshabangu, the CCC’s disputed interim secretary-general, to gain a two-thirds majority in Parliament. Tshabangu had recalled several CCC MPs and councillors, arguing that they no longer belonged to the party. ZANU PF then won the two-thirds majority in subsequent by-elections.
Siziba’s remarks come after former Finance Minister Tendai Biti claimed to be CCC vice president. Siziba clarified that such a position was only available in the MDC, where Biti was a VP. Before the 2023 elections, Chamisa dissolved the CCC structures and centralised power within his office.
Following his departure from CCC, Chamisa stated that he was forming a political movement rather than a political party. He believes that the lessons learned from political parties and how ZANU PF operates will be valuable in their efforts to remove ZANU PF from power.
Some people are pessimistic about Chamisa’s chances of success after several unsuccessful attempts in the past 20 years. Siziba responded by acknowledging that the struggle is not easy and cannot be achieved overnight. He urged critics to study their history and understand the challenges they have faced. Siziba acknowledged the desire for change and the sacrifices made by many but emphasised the need to continue marching forward until victory is achieved.