They think that by challenging the legitimacy of the ruling party Zanu PF and its leader, President Emmerson Mnangagwa, they can expose their corruption, incompetence, and brutality. They think that by participating in the elections, the courts, and the Parliament, they can prove their credibility, accountability, and representation.
They are wrong. They are naive. They are foolish.
They are wrong, because politics is not a fair game. Politics is a dirty game, a game of power, money, and violence. Politics is a game where the rules are made and broken by the one who holds the most resources, influence, and force. Politics is a game where the winner takes all, and the loser gets nothing.
They are naive, because they do not understand the nature of their enemy. Zanu PF is not a political party, but a political machine, a machine that has been operating for over four decades, since the liberation war, a machine that has infiltrated and captured every institution, every sector, every sphere of the society. Zanu PF is a machine that has mastered the art of manipulation, intimidation, and coercion. It will stop at nothing to maintain its grip on power.
They are foolish, because they do not have a strategy to counter Zanu PF’s tactics. They do not have a plan to mobilize and organize the masses, to educate and empower them, to inspire and motivate them. They do not have a vision to offer an alternative, to propose a solution, to create a change. They do not have a leadership to unite and guide them, to challenge and confront them, to protect and defend them.
Instead, they have a leader who is charismatic but inexperienced, who is popular but divisive, who is ambitious but reckless.
Chamisa is a young and energetic politician, who rose to prominence as a student leader, a human rights lawyer, and a minister of information and communication technology. He is a gifted speaker, who can captivate and persuade audiences with his eloquence and humour. He is a daring activist, who can mobilize and galvanize supporters with his courage and charisma.
But he is also a flawed and controversial figure, who has faced criticism and opposition from within and outside his party. He is accused of being authoritarian and undemocratic, of imposing himself as the leader of the CCC without following the party constitution and holding a congress,of being arrogant and stubborn, of refusing to accept the 2023 election results, and of rejecting any dialogue or compromise with Zanu PF. He is accused of being irresponsible and irrational, of disengaging from the Parliament and the Local Government Authorities, and of risking the loss of the seats won by the CCC.
Chamisa’s leadership has been challenged by a faction within the CCC, led by Sengezo Tshabangu, a former member of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), both defunct parties that merged with the CCC. Tshabangu claims to be the interim Secretary General of the CCC, and has attempted to recall 15 CCC Members of Parliament and councillors, alleging that they were no longer members of the CCC. Tshabangu’s move has been seen as a plot to weaken the CCC and pave the way for Zanu PF to gain a two-thirds majority in Parliament, which would enable them to amend the constitution and entrench their power.
Chamisa has dismissed Tshabangu as an impostor and a traitor, and has vowed to fight him in the courts and on the streets. Chamisa has accused Tshabangu of being a puppet of Zanu PF, a Trojan horse sent to infiltrate and destroy the CCC from within. Chamisa has also accused Zanu PF of being behind the Tshabangu Fiasco, a scheme to destabilise and demoralise the CCC and its supporters.
But is Tshabangu really a puppet of Zanu PF, or just an opportunist? Is Zanu PF really behind the Tshabangu situation, or just taking advantage of it? Does it really matter?
The truth is, the Tshabangu is not the cause, but the symptom, of the CCC’s failure. The CCC’s failure is not due to external factors, but internal factors. It’s failure is due to its own weaknesses, mistakes, and contradictions.
The CCC’s failure is due to its lack of strategy, vision, and leadership. The failure is due to its inability to transform itself from a protest movement to a governing party. The CCC’s failure is due to its inability to offer a credible and viable alternative to Zanu PF. The CCC’s failure is due to its inability to win the trust and confidence of the people.
The CCC keeps on losing because they think politics is a fair game. Until they realize that the nature of the game is always rigged in favour of the one in power, they will keep on losing and implementing their weak strategies. Until they realize that they need to change their approach, their mindset, and their attitude, they will keep on losing and wasting their potential.
They will keep on losing, and I will keep on writing. Writing, not because I have hope, but because I have nothing else. Writing, not because I have faith, but because I have nothing to lose. Writing, not because I have joy, but because I have nothing to feel.
Writing, because I have nothing.
Kumbirai Thierry Nhamo
Social Justice Activist
https://muckrack.com/kumbirai-