Chamisa must come out clean, says Obbo Mandaza

Prominent academic and publisher Professor Ibbo Mandaza says Zimbabwe's main opposition leader Nelson Chamisa owes voters an explanation of what happened before, during and after last year's general elections followed by the implosion of his Citizen Coalition for Change (CCC) party now captured by the ruling Zanu-PF to dispel rumours that he is a state project.

Posting on X/Twitter, Mandaza said:
"I believe it's overdue that Chamisa comes clean on the narrative before, during and after the elections in August 2023. You owe the population - especially the 2 million plus who voted for you. - a detailed explanation, to dispel the rumours doing the rounds about your duplicitous conduct, restore confidence in your support base and/or inform Zimbabweans that you're no longer in contention. You owe us all that explanation."

I believe it's overdue that Chamisa comes clean on the narrative before, during and after the elections in August 2023. You owe the population - especially the 2 million plus who voted for you. - a detailed explanation, to dispel the rumours doing the rounds about your…

— Ibbo D Mandaza (@ibbosnr) June 24, 2024

CCC interim president Welshman Ncube has criticised former opposition leader Chamisa for undermining democratic principles in the opposition which he says led to its current divisions.

The opposition party has faced internal turmoil following the emergence of self-imposed secretary general Sengezo Tshabangu who recalled elected officials, consequently leading to Chamisa's resignation.

Chamisa's departure left the party battling divisions with a faction aligned to Ncube assuming the party leadership while another led by Jameson Timba remains loyal to the former leader.

Speaking in an X space recently, Ncube came short of labelling Chamisa a dictator who reduced the opposition into a one-man party.

"When you are in the struggle for democracy, when you say you are a democratic alternative that you will govern democratically that by definition means that you must be organised democratically yourselves. When you say you are the only leader with authority over everything.

"You become the dear leader. You are the president and chief spokesperson. You are the secretary general. You are the treasure general. You direct the closure of all party accounts. You operate without any known party accounts. There are no financial oversight procedures mechanisms," said Ncube.

He added: "You are structureless. You have no democratic ways of making decisions at all levels. One person with runners makes all the decisions. It becomes extremely difficult. No rational person should be asked to believe that you can be a completely autocratic, authoritarian when in opposition then be democratic when in government."

In his resignation, Chamisa accused Zanu-PF of infiltrating the opposition.

Despite mounting a challenge against Zanu-PF in last year's general elections CCC has experienced significant internal divisions.

Ncube attributed the party's decline to the lack of political ideology and visible organizational structures.

"In the last parliament, Biti was one of our most effective members of parliament. You might call him an old guard but he was effective in holding the ruling party accountable.

"He should go back so that he can continue and you give me the answer that God has said he should not go back. If you were to write a book about some of these things it would pass as a book of fiction," said Ncube.