Chamisa signals clean break from CCC

Opposition leader Nelson Chamisa has hinted that his newly announced political movement will exclude former leaders and structures associated with the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC), signalling a decisive break from his previous political project.

Announcing his return to active politics last Friday, Chamisa said the new movement would not accommodate what he described as "old structures or personalities", insisting that Zimbabwe's political future required a fresh start.

"Everything in the past is not going to be part of the new. You do not use old wine skins to carry the new wine," Chamisa said.

His remarks appear to rule out the continuation of the CCC in its previous form and suggest that senior figures linked to the party may not feature in the new political formation.

Chamisa also defended his long-standing use of what he terms "strategic ambiguity" — a model in which leadership and organisational structures are not publicly defined — after being asked whether the new movement would continue operating under the same approach.

"Strategic ambiguity has actually fortified the base, that's why we won the 2023 elections because the base is clear about what we are doing," he said.

"Strategic ambiguity's target is not those who support us because they know what we are doing, they know the structures. It is the opponent who wants to pry into our affairs that is why they are in sixes and sevens."

While Chamisa credits strategic ambiguity for the CCC's performance in the 2023 elections, critics argue that the same strategy later contributed to the party's dramatic implosion.

The CCC was launched without a formal constitution, publicly named office bearers or clearly defined internal structures — a deliberate move, according to Chamisa, to protect the party from infiltration by the State.

However, the absence of formal structures created a leadership vacuum that allowed Sengezo Tshabangu to emerge and assert authority over the party. This development ultimately resulted in the recall of dozens of CCC Members of Parliament and councillors, severely weakening the opposition in Parliament and local authorities.

Chamisa formally exited the CCC in early 2024 following the recalls, effectively bringing his involvement with the party to an end.

Meanwhile, he is yet to announce the name, leadership or organisational structure of his new political movement, maintaining a level of secrecy that has fuelled both anticipation among supporters and scepticism among critics.

As Zimbabwe's opposition landscape continues to shift, attention is now focused on whether Chamisa's promised "new wine skins" will translate into a more durable and unified political vehicle — or repeat the challenges of the past.