Chamisa's CCC bars former Bosso chairman

THE Nelson Chamisa-led Citizens Coalition for Change preferred candidates for the Bulawayo mayoral and deputy mayoral positions, former Education Minister David Coltart and Dumisani Nkomo suffered losses in the party's "stakeholder selection process" last week.

However, the party leadership is alleged to be making frantic efforts to save the pair and others preferred by the leadership, thus casting doubt over the party's capability to successfully hold internal democratic elections.

Insiders said the party had directed that those who came in the top three in the "stakeholder selection process" should submit their details to the provincial offices and a final list to represent the party in the elections will be chosen from the list.

Last Saturday, the opposition party was thrown into turmoil when all sitting Bulawayo MPs and councillors that were not recalled by the Douglas Mwonzora MDC had a shock of their lives when their names were missing on the hastily-arranged candidates list from the selection process, with indications that they had been disqualified.

Over the past week, the disqualified candidates and those that lost in the selection process have been challenging the outcome.

The party then claimed that they were yet to release the final list of candidates. Mr Coltart came out second to Ms Mabeza in Ward 4, while Mr Nkomo was third to Clr Tawanda Ruzive and Clr Felix Mhaka in Ward 5.

Sitting Njube-Lobengula MP, Gift Banda who was initially disqualified to stand for the Entumbane-Njube constituency managed to get his name included on the list and is said to have emerged as the winner although the result is being challenged.

Another candidate who was defeated in the process was former Deputy Mayor, Mr Tinashe Kambarami who fell short to Mr Mxolisi Mahlangu in the contest to represent the party in Ward three where former Highlanders Football Club chairperson Mr  Roger Muhlwa was disqualified under unclear circumstances.

Impeccable sources revealed that the party leadership was considering imposing some candidates that were either defeated during the stakeholder selection process or were omitted from the list of those that participated in the process, thereby running the risk of further imploding the party.

The sources also revealed that in Nketa constituency, the leadership was trying to smuggle in Ms Memory Kabasa who contested with academic Dr Mandla Nyathi and Mr Obert Manduna.

In Nkulumane constituency, poet Desire Moyo is said to have won in one ward while in the other ward, Clr Rodney Jele is said to have won, although the party is pushing for the former to represent the party despite the stalemate.

From the unofficial list shared on social media last week, Mr Moyo was said to have won.

"What is now happening is that colleagues in Harare, where the stakeholder selection process is yet to take place, are now pressurising the party to address the chaos in Bulawayo first before the process is held in Harare, as indications are that it could also be the same situation there.

So far indications are that in Harare the process will be held on 17 June. We are yet to see how the party will handle the appeals, because these are genuine appeals which need to be addressed.

The danger is that if these appeals are not handled democratically the party might go to the polls as a fractured entity or have double candidates, which will be suicidal," revealed the source.