Zimbabwe is set to witness a fierce political battle as two former opposition legislators who were recalled from parliament for allegedly defecting from their party have filed papers to contest the upcoming by-elections as independent candidates.
Admore Chivero and Oliver Mutasa, who represented Chegutu West and Zvimba East constituencies respectively, were among the dozens of lawmakers and councillors expelled from the Citizens’ Coalition for Change (CCC) led by Nelson Chamisa, the main challenger to President Emmerson Mnangagwa in the 2018 disputed election.
The CCC has been embroiled in a leadership crisis since the death of its founding leader Morgan Tsvangirai in 2018, with Chamisa and Thokozani Khupe claiming to be the legitimate successors. A court ruling in March 2020 declared Khupe as the interim leader and ordered the party to hold an extraordinary congress to elect a new president.
According to a report by New Zimbabwe, Chamisa refused to accept the ruling and maintained his control over the party structures and supporters. Khupe, with the backing of the state-aligned Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC), proceeded to recall the legislators and councillors loyal to Chamisa, accusing them of ceasing to be members of the party.
The move sparked outrage among the CCC supporters and civil society groups, who denounced it as a ploy to weaken the opposition and undermine democracy. The recalled lawmakers and councillors also challenged the legality of their expulsion and vowed to fight back.
A Test of Popularity
On Monday, Chivero and Mutasa submitted their nomination papers at the Chinhoyi Court Complex as independent candidates for the by-elections scheduled for February 3, 2023. They will face off against the candidates from the Khupe faction of the CCC, as well as those from the ruling Zanu-PF party and other smaller parties.
Chivero, who narrowly lost to Zanu-PF’s Dexter Nduna in 2018 and contested the result in court, said he was confident of winning the Chegutu West seat with the support of the people.
“I am not worried about the CCC candidates because they are imposed by Sengezo Tshabangu, who is working with Zanu-PF to destroy our party. The people of Chegutu West know me and they trust me. I have been working with them for the past five years, delivering development projects and assisting the vulnerable. I am the people’s choice and I will prove it in the by-election,” he said.
A Divided Opposition
The by-elections will also test the popularity and relevance of the Khupe faction of the CCC, which has been accused of being a puppet of Zanu-PF and betraying the opposition cause.
The faction, led by self-styled interim secretary general Sengezo Tshabangu, has fielded Gift Konjana, a perennial campaigner, for the Chegutu West seat, and Agrippa Alberito, a relatively unknown politician, for the Zvimba East seat.
Zanu-PF, which has been in power since independence in 1980, is hoping to capitalize on the split vote between the two CCC-aligned candidates and retain its dominance in the rural areas.
Zanu-PF spokesperson Simon Khaya Moyo said the party was ready to defend its seats and win more from the opposition.
“We are not concerned about the internal problems of the CCC. That is their own business. We are focused on mobilizing our supporters and delivering our manifesto. We have a strong team of candidates and we are confident of victory,” he said.
Many Zimbabweans are disillusioned with the political system and the lack of meaningful change since the ouster of longtime leader Robert Mugabe in 2017.
However, some analysts and activists believe that the by-elections could offer an opportunity for the citizens to exercise their democratic rights and demand accountability from their leaders.
