Chamisa's Chitungwiza rally cancelled

Nelson Chamisa's rally in Chitungwiza scheduled for Sunday has been cancelled.

In a statement on it's X account (formerly Twitter), the party did not provide any specific reasons for the postponement but apologised for any inconvenience caused.

The leader of Citizens Coalition for Change was expected to discuss various topics, including the recent elections and court rulings on political matters.

"We would like to inform you that our Rally which was scheduled for tomorrow at Chibuku Stadium in Chitungwiza has been postponed.

"We sincerely apologise for the inconvenience this has caused."

We would like to inform you that our Rally which was scheduled for tomorrow at Chibuku Stadium in Chitungwiza has been postponed.

We sincerely apologise for the inconvenience this has caused. pic.twitter.com/jqu3RnAGEy

— Citizens' Coalition for Change (@CCCZimbabwe) December 16, 2023

In a statement promoting the rally, the party invited “all citizens” to join them at Chibuku Stadium to hear the former ICT Minister’s speech. Said the party:

"President Nelson Chamisa will be addressing the citizens this Sunday at Chibuku Stadium in Chitungwiza. Join us to hear about the party’s direction amidst Zanu PF’s attempts to undermine the genuine alternative party through the courts, ZEC, imposters, and other state institutions. The Citizens Movement is resilient and unstoppable. Come and listen to him speak as he shares the vision of the movement.

The impasse between ZANU PF and the CCC began after the August 2023 elections, where President Emmerson Mnangagwa was declared the winner. The CCC rejected the election results, alleging that the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) colluded with ZANU PF to rig the elections in Mnangagwa’s favour. They pointed out various irregularities observed by local and international monitors, including voter intimidation and delays in ballot paper distribution.

The situation worsened when Sengezo Tshabangu, claiming to be the interim Secretary-General of the CCC, recalled numerous CCC MPs and councillors, claiming they no longer belonged to the party. Chamisa and other CCC officials accused Tshabangu of working with ZANU PF to weaken the opposition and consolidate ZANU PF’s grip on power.

The CCC called for fresh elections to be conducted by an impartial body like SADC, the African Union, or the United Nations. However, SADC advised the CCC to seek legal recourse through local courts, which the CCC claims are biased towards ZANU PF.

Amidst this standoff, President Mnangagwa’s spokesperson, George Charamba, warned the CCC against resorting to mass protests, cautioning that it could have dire consequences for the party and its leader. He said:

"I have been reading stories on Chamisa’s so-called CNA meeting which took place yesterday. Among statements, which purport to be resolutions, released after the meeting, coupled with subsequent interviews with the media, Triple C, it would appear, is toying with the idea of mass action, ostensibly to “force ZANU PF to the negotiating table”!

"A key principle in politics is understanding your customer; there is no clue anyone in Triple C, least of all Chamisa, works with this elementary political principle which informs what does and cannot do. Politics is the art of the possible.

Charamba’s statement implied that the government’s security forces would forcefully suppress any mass protests organized by the CCC. In the past, soldiers and police officers were deployed to prevent opposition rallies and disperse peaceful demonstrators. This has led some people to believe that demonstrations are effectively prohibited in Zimbabwe, even though they are a constitutional right.