By Elizabeth Sitotombe

WHEN the opposition CCC party announced they were not going to hold primary elections but conduct a fancy sounding ‘community consensus candidate selection process’ supporters had thought they would get a chance to choose their preferred candidates, however, it’s turning out to be a red herring.

Described as  “…a watertight process that will ensure that your voices are heard and that will guard against security matters…,” by party spokesperson Fadzayi Mahere, it looks like the process has been dwarfed by Nelson Chamisa’s ‘big persona’

It appears the party followers have been robbed of the chance to choose their preferred candidates in the upcoming elections.

The Patriot, has consistantly  reported on opposition leader Nelson Chamisa’s egocentric behaviour and how it is likely he would impose his preferred candidates. 

The reason for doing away with primary elections was supposedly due to fear of ‘infiltration by State agents’.

The consensus candidate selection programme is claimed to involve members of a specific community putting forward names of people they want to represent them into a pool that will then be narrowed down by a selection committee to be set in due course.

During a press conference to announce this decision, CCC  spokesperson Fadzayi Mahere  assured party members that,  “…it’s a watertight process that will ensure that your voices are heard and that will guard against security matters”.

But some of Chamisa’s  comrades have been making aspiring candidates pay bribes to secure positions.

It has emerged, Chamisa’s head of protocol tasked to oversee candidate selection, Brilliant Dube, was being paid as much as a staggering US$2 000 by members who included some of the party’s top ranking officials to guarantee their candidature.

The delay in candidate selection is indeed cause for panic, making interested candidates desperate enough to part with huge sums of money to secure selection.

Because of that, tensions continue to rise as aspiring candidates panic.

Now, Dube is said to have become reckless and started splurging money to the extent of opening a restaurant called the Purple Olives in Eastlea along Northampton Road.

This did not go down well with the other members, leading to Joana Mamombe and chief-of-staff, Trust Mamombe as well as national organising director Farai Chinobva working to expose Dube. 

Chamisa fired Dube.

But the line of corruption did not end with Dube. Chinobva then started soliciting for bribes from other members to safeguard their constituencies.

Money is an apparent weakness for Chamisa et al.

Names of candidates who have already paid to secure their constituencies; include Prosper Mutseyami, Charlton Hwende, Susan Matsunga and Murisi  Zizwai, among others. 

The same people have been accused of campaigning before a final decision has been made.

Interestingly, the Harare Central seat belonging to Zwizwai is being eyed by Gladys Hlatshwayo.

Gladys Hlatshwayo, Cecilia Chimbiri and Maureen Kademaunga are also said to have parted with US$2 000 each to secure their candidature.

For people like Gladys Hlatswayo and Susan Matsunga, the payments may have been unnecessary seeing how they were already on the list of candidates Chamisa seeks to impose on the people.

A list of names of candidates handpicked by Chamisa includes:

• Harare Central: Gladys Hlatshwayo over Murisi Zwizwai

• Hatcliff: Allan Markham over Agency Gumbo

• Highfield East, Lovemore Makuwerere over Eric Murai

• Mbare Starman Chamisa over  Anthony Shingadeya

• Glenview South, Gladmore Hakata over Last Maengahama.

• Epworth: Ethrage Kureva over Zivai Mhetu

• Mabvuku: Munyaradzi Kufahakutizwi over Barnabas Ndira

• Glennorah: Wellington Chikombo over Hebert Gomba

• Chitungwiza North: Fambai Ngirandi over Tryvine Musokero

• Chitungwiza South: Maxwell Mavhunga over Goodrich Chimbaira

• Harare East: Lovemore Chinoputsa over Tendai Biti

• St Mary’s: Dickson Tarusenga over Stephen Chuma

• Zengeza East: Alexio Masundire over Job (jnr) Sikhala

• Zengeza West: Lovemore Maiko over Job Sikhala

After the incident of the US$40 000 given to MPs as loans, Chamisa was quoted as saying: “…the citizens are waiting for you, they are going to punish you and punish you happily.”

Is this what he meant with the introduction of this new selection process?

He not only de-campaigned them, but undemocratically used the process to pave way for his favoured candidates whose insecurity is pushing them to pay for their selection.

Chamisa has made himself a demi-god, a law unto himself against all the purpoted founding tenets of their party.

If he has thus failed to address the interests of his party what more the interests of this nation!

How can he be trusted to lead a nation?

Since he took over, Chamisa has used the divide and rule tactic to maintain power.

In the 2018 general elections, Chamisa was accused of imposing his preferred candidates to the vexation of some opposition supporters.

Chamisa himself is not an elected leader but a pretender-to-the-throne who imposed himself on the people.

The CCC has no constitution; they do not speak to the needs of the people.

They are simply known for being an opposition party whose ideological bankruptcy has only served to strengthen the ruling ZANU PF.

While the people may forgive them their ideological bankruptcy and inhouse confusion, bringing the same confusion and incompetency into the opposition-led urban councils is unpardonable. Lack of clean water, mounts of refuse and failure to deliver basic service are there for everyone to see.

On the other hand, the Second Republic has seen many Zimbabweans empowered, especially the youth in the mining and farming sector, which will certainly help in the country’s march towards the attainment of an upper-middle income economy as envisaged by Vision 2030. Every motivated youth has not been left behind as the Second Republic has made sure various projects and loans have been availed to all youths.

Even the controversial Fitch Solutions First Quarter Zimbabwe Country Risk Report has grudgingly predicted as ZANU PF victory in the upcoming elections.

In the report, they described His Excellency President Emmerson Mnangagwa as a reform minded leader whose Government will focus on efforts to strengthen the economy and attract investments.