Chamisa allies stampede for Blue movement positions

Politicians aligned to former Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) opposition leader Nelson Chamisa are said to be jostling for positions in their yet-to-be unveiled movement as efforts are being made to rebuild Zimbabwe's opposition that was crippled by the controversial recall of elected representatives soon after the 2023 elections.

Chamisa left CCC in January this year citing alleged infiltration by Zanu-PF after self-imposed secretary general Sengezo Tshabangu snatched the party from him and started recalling legislators and councillors.

The 2018 and 2023 leading opposition presidential candidate is yet to officially announce his next move and has disassociated himself from any opposition party or movement.

Chamisa's  close allies led by Amos Chibaya and Gift Siziba, however,  have been mobilising for support on his behalf under a political outfit dubbed the Blue Movement.

This publication has since established that the selection grassroots leaders for the movement has created divisions as opposition leaders that want to be associated with Chamisa are imposing themselves in certain positions.

"There is selection of cluster leaders who are in general, district leaders, that is currently underway but there are disputes over the way they are being selected," a source, who preferred anonymity told The Standard.

"The move to select cluster leaders is driven by the need to ensure that there are coordinators in the districts and also to root out those members aligned to Tshabangu as we are preparing for the new.

"But the challenge now is, in some cases these are being appointed by other individuals from within.

"Some people have emerged from nowhere and positioned themselves as cluster leaders.

"People at the grassroots are demanding a stake in the selection of their local leaders."

Siziba declined to comment on the alleged infighting, but said there was a stampede among Chamisa's supporters to associate themselves with the former CCC leader.

"There is overwhelming excitement at the grassroots level by the people, who support Chamisa," Siziba said.

"There is joy by the Zimbabweans and the democratic who want to follow president Chamisa  because he bears the vision and, therefore, they want to associate with him; with a burning  desire to wage a collective fight against dictatorship."

Siziba was evasive on when "the new" would be unveiled.

"Our focus is to build a mass movement," he said.

"The next programmes that we have lined up are to build a social base. We are now going to the grassroots.

"That is the anchor of our crusade.

"We want to organise and galvanise the society towards resolving the vicious cycle of disputed elections, which has poisoned Zimbabwe since 1980."

Last month, police banned a rally that had been organised by Chibaya and Siziba, which was to be held in Mukoba constituency.

Meanwhile, Bulawayo mayor David Coltart last week said there were behind-the-scenes talks between Chamisa and his erstwhile allies Welshman Ncube and Tendai Biti.

Biti and Ncube lead another CCC faction linked to Tshabangu.

They are interim leaders on a 90-day rotational basis together with Lynnete Karenyi-Kore.

"I have never found anything wrong about Tendai Biti, Welshman Ncube against Nelson Chamisa," Coltart said in an interview with Heart and Soul Freetalk in Bulawayo last week.

"They have constantly fought for democracy for decades. They need to find each other.

"I am speaking to Nelson Chamisa, Tendai Biti, Welshman Ncube and others and l can help in that small way," he said, adding that there was a need to move away from politics of personalities.

Coltart admitted that Zimbabwe's opposition was in ‘disarray.' He said it was difficult to remove Zanu-PF with the current state of affairs in the opposition.