Disputed Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) acting president Welshman Ncube has described it as “madness” for opposition parties to continue participating in elections without electoral reforms, which he believes will result in rigged outcomes favouring the ruling ZANU PF party.
Speaking at CCC’s victory celebrations for Tsholotsho Ward 1 councillor Witness Khumalo, Ncube referenced the late Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) leader Morgan Tsvangirai, who often emphasized the futility of participating in elections in an unsuitable environment.
During his leadership of the MDC from 1999 until his passing on February 14, 2018, Tsvangirai frequently threatened to boycott elections until electoral reforms were implemented.
Ncube also criticised the country’s new currency, ZiG, labelling it not only rare but worthless, as it has rapidly depreciated on the parallel market due to a shortage of foreign currency. He said (via NewsDay):
Tsvangirai used to say if you see yourself doing the same thing and bearing the same results over and over again, in English, it is the very definition of insanity. This means you are mad.
You participate in elections in 2000, then there is a dispute and the country keeps going down. You do the same thing for years over and the country keeps on dwindling.
You end up not having a stable currency for the country. Who among you have ever laid eyes on this money called ZWG (formerly ZiG)? If you have seen it before, what does it buy?
I stay in both Harare and Bulawayo, but I have never seen the ZiG with my own eyes. The country’s wealth keeps dwindling and yet we are busy doing slogans.
Second republic, third republic, the country is built by its own people, but it is still the same and there is no change.
We should all ask ourselves whether we want to reach 2028 knowing very well that the same people are going to be at the top stealing and they go back using both police and soldiers’ power.
When we reach 2028, you start talking about 2033 and in 2033, you start talking about 2038. Is that not total madness?
The CCC secured victory in Ward 1 of Tsholotsho during the August 2023 harmonized elections. At that time, Nelson Chamisa was the leader of the opposition party.
However, Chamisa announced his resignation from the party in January 2024, alleging that ZANU PF had infiltrated the CCC through its proxies.
More: Pindula News