Independent candidates ride on Chamisa's coattails

INDEPENDENT candidates for Mount Pleasant and Harare East constituencies in the capital are rallying voters to support former Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) leader Nelson Chamisa by voting them into Parliament.

The by-elections will be held on April 27.

The seats fell vacant after former CCC legislators Fadzayi Mahere (Mt Pleasant) and Allan Markham (Harare East) resigned from the party and Parliament in solidarity with Chamisa who ditched the party citing infiltration by Zanu-PF.

Independent candidates Nason Mamutse (Mt Pleasant) and Ropafadzo Cheza (Harare East) have now hinged their campaigns on Chamisa's popularity to secure victory.

Mamutse and Cheza have declared that they are behind Chamisa.

Chamisa has, however, distanced himself from any political party or movement since his resignation from the CCC in January this year.

Mamutse will battle it out with George Mashavave of Zanu-PF and Brian Ticky for the Mount Pleasant seat in the by-election slated for April 27.

Cheza will contest against Kiven Mutimbanyoka of Zanu-PF for the Harare East constituency.

NewDay established that Mamutse and Cheza are riding on Chamisa's popularity by putting his face on their campaign posters to solicit for votes ahead of the by-elections.

In an interview during the weekend, Mamutse said: "I am contesting as an independent and for now Chamisa is also an individual. I would have put any other person on my campaign posters but I chose Chamisa because I like him."

No comment could be obtained from Cheza as her mobile phone was not reachable.

A CCC faction led by Jameson Timba has pledged its support for the independent candidates.

The CCC did not field candidates for the by-elections.

CCC spokesperson Promise Mkwananzi said the party supported the independent candidates "to ensure democracy finds its way in Parliament".

"We did not field any candidate under the CCC because CCC candidates have been blocked in the past," Mkwananzi said.

"In our view, it is imperative for the citizens to vote for the CCC candidates to ensure that Zanu-PF is stopped from gaining any further ill-gotten political ground."

He added: "Parliament is a platform for democratic debate but if Zanu-PF had not recalled our MPs in Parliament we had prevented it from acquiring two-thirds majority.

"There is a need for people to be represented so that the democratic movement in its totality continues to prevail in its liberated zones."

Self-proclaimed CCC interim secretary-general Sengezo Tshabangu snatched the party from Chamisa and recalled his legislators, senators and councillors, triggering by-elections.

Zanu-PF has gone on to gain a two-thirds Parliamentary majority through the by-elections.

Chamisa has accused Tshabangu of being a Zanu-PF proxy, a charge Zanu-PF denies.

The CCC has since split into two factions — one linked to Tshabangu and another associated with Chamisa's fanatics.