The Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) was formed this January as a splinter group of the Movement for Democratic Change Alliance (MDC Alliance), the former main opposition party of Zimbabwe. Despite being such a young party on the Zimbabwean political front, it managed to win 19 out of 28 by-elections in March this year. This has made it a strong force to look out for in Zimbabwe’s political landscape as the MDC Alliance has been accused of having links to the ruling party Zanu-PF and has therefore lost significant credibility among voters. The CCC can be considered Zimbabwe’s largest political opposition at the moment and is worth following closely in the run-up to the 2023 elections. 

Structures, Constitution, & Election Manifesto

In May of this year, leader of the CCC, Nelson Chamisa, was criticised for not yet developing an election manifesto. Chamisa had also not created proper structures for the election nor selected party members. This has led some prominent Zimbabweans, such as exiled Professor Jonathan Moyo, who previously lectured in Political Science at various African universities, to call him “a one-man show.” 

Despite these criticisms, Chamisa stated in February that the party was working towards building a new government that will begin with Councillors, MPs, and followed by Ministers. These leaders, he claimed, would be “incorruptible” and “come from the communities, stay in the communities, and represent the citizens.” The practice of vote buying would also be abolished with a strong focus being placed on who Zimbabweans want to lead them and not who is imposed on them. 

Chamisa has also stated that the CCC would target rural areas as that is where true transformation will come from. According to the World Bank, around two-thirds of Zimbabweans live in rural areas and these have been a central focus for the ruling Zanu-PF in past election campaigns. In fact, Zanu-PF members have often been involved in hindering the CCC’s gatherings and one person was killed this year when “thugs” attacked a Chamisa gathering in Kwekwe, which is President Mnangagwa’s home town. 

The ultimate aim, however, as indicated on the party’s website is to have leadership that is “committed to seeing […] Zimbabwe rise up out of poverty and hardship in a new glory.” 

Challenges Going Forward

Zimbabwean police have banned the CCC from holding campaign rallies in some parts of the country. Chamisa, however, riding the wave of success of the recent by-elections stated that he was “encouraging supporters to register as national voters to ensure a landslide victory for the presidency and a two-thirds parliamentary majority”. 

Chamisa has called on every Zimbabwean to register to vote so that the country can experience true change in 2023. However, this should be done in face of the need for key electoral reforms prior to the elections. One such challenge is ensuring that Zimbabweans in the diaspora are allowed to vote, even though this has been a practice that Zanu-PF and the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) have not permitted. A potential reason for this is the absence of the right infrastructure to ensure voter authenticity and prevent voter fraud. However, with technological advances in terms of electoral equipment, these do not appear to be sound arguments by the ZEC and are rather perceived to be construed as seeking to limit the opposition from gaining a stronger foothold in Zimbabwean politics. According to recent records, there are over two million Zimbabweans living in South Africa. This alone could swing the vote in the CCC’s favour, but Zanu-PF is unlikely to support such changes. In fact, Zanu-PF has used violence, intimidation tactics, and food as weapons against the CCC and these machinations are not expected to subside in the mid-2023 elections. 

Chamisa, therefore, has an uphill battle against the deeply ingrained political status quo, which has strong structures and far reach. Consequently, and despite limitations such as being banned from holding rallies in some parts of the country, Chamisa will need to ensure that he stays committed to the cause, single handedly focusing on the task at hand, and braves the storms that are expected to head his way in truly turbulent times. He has acknowledged that much remains to be done and that “it’s not going to be easy,” particularly in the face of government-sponsored violence and intimidation.