The Sunday News
Vusumuzi Dube, Online News Editor
THE Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) candidate selection process was marred by chicanery and chaos with party members alleging that it spelt the death of democracy and the rise of a dictator in party leader Advocate Nelson Chamisa who they accuse of conscripting proxies into the party against people-favoured candidates.
The party’s nomination process took place last Wednesday countrywide and those nominated will battle it out in internal elections on a date yet to be advised. According to those close to the process, in Bulawayo, nominations include former MDC-T deputy president, Dr Thokozani Khupe in the newly formed Cowdray Park constituency, while lawyer, Mr Sindiso Mazibisa is set to battle it out with incumbent MP, Mr Anele Ndebele and political activist, Mr Promise Mkhwananzi in Magwegwe.
Dr Thokozani Khupe
In Bulawayo South, incumbent Makokoba MP, Alderman James Sithole is set to battle it out with city businessman Mr Francis Mangwendeza while the party’s deputy spokesperson Mr Gift Ostalos Siziba has been nominated for the Pelandaba-Tshabalala constituency. In Nketa, BPRA chairperson, Mr Ambrose Sibindi was nominated together with Obert Manduna and the incumbent MP, Mr Phelela Masuku.
For Local Government seats, the biggest surprise will be former Education Minister David Coltart who sources claimed is set to battle it out with Councillor Tawanda Ruzive in Ward Five. Indications are that the party is pushing for Coltart to be the next city’s mayor.
“What will happen now is that the main co-ordinators in the province are analyzing the list and they will make their recommendations to Adv Chamisa’s office for further scrutiny after which the final lists of candidates will be sent back and presented to members who will then vote mainly by show of hands with the candidate with the largest headcount endorsed.
However, in Bulawayo, the main task was to ensure that Dr Khupe is nominated unopposed in Cowdray Park as she is seen as the only individual who can challenge Zanu-PF’s Professor Mthuli Ncube, while the party also wants to ensure that Mr Coltart is nominated in Ward Five as he is the preferred candidate to take over the city’s mayoral position,” said the source.
Meanwhile, it has since emerged that a majority of the Bulawayo councillors were nominated in the process. The councillors have previously denied allegiance to the party instead declaring that they were part of the MDC-T faction which is led by Mr Douglas Mwonzora.
“The councillors had to wait till the very last minute to declare their allegiance to Chamisa so as to avoid a recall by Mr Mwonzora who was for the better part of last year not hesitant to recall those who had declared allegiance to CCC.”
Clr Silas Chigora is the only councillor who has not jumped ship to CCC and was not nominated.
“However, their candidature will be scrutinised by Chamisa’s office as there is a feeling that some of them are not loyal to the party and are just interested in retaining their positions as councillors. There was a lot of chicanery. The leadership had its preferred candidates and those were nominated. The process defeats the meaning of democracy but we all know that the term has ceased to have meaning in the current setup,” said a candidate who was not nominated.
Speaking during a Press conference, CCC spokesperson, Miss Fadzayi Mahere said the process has at least four stages with the nomination being the first stage. She said the process will also include vetting and the consultation of “key stakeholders” to further scrutinise the list.
“Following nomination, there is going to be a vetting process and the fact that one has been nominated is not the end of the situation, it doesn’t mean that you are yet eligible to be a candidate. There will also be a process of community consensus building where citizens will come together and be told there is X, there is Y candidate, who do you prefer and why, they have an opportunity to make their case, deliver a very brief manifesto of what they plan to deliver in their wards or constituency and also to take questions from the community concerning their eligibility to run,” she said.
The elections exposed one of the city’s major residents’ associations, the Bulawayo Progressive Residents Association political inclination with most of its leaders being seconded as co-ordinators to lead the process.
Its former co-ordinator, Dr Rodrick Fayayo was one of the provincial co-ordinators whose task was to sieve through the nominations before forwarding them to the party leadership in Harare, who will further vet the list before the prospective candidates are presented to party members on Tuesday. BPRA will also make up a majority of the “key stakeholders” that will be consulted after the vetting of the list and will have a say on who will be eventually nominated for the various positions.
