Zimpapers Logo

Dr Masimba Mavaza

The truth is simple and clear, CCC, because of their self-imposed “strategic ambiguity”, opted to submit their nomination papers at the 11th hour, in contravention of established rules and timelines. 

This tardiness and disorganisation is a fault of their own making. 

It then baffles all when Chamisa addresses thousands of people accusing Zanu PF of disqualifying the 12 contestants. 

The recent ruling by Bulawayo High Court Judge, Justice Bongani Ndlovu, barring 12 CCC candidates from participating in the forthcoming National Assembly elections on grounds of late submission of nomination papers has sparked a flurry of heated debate.

Instead of introspecting and taking responsibility for their mishaps, the CCC has chosen to point fingers and unjustifiably lay blame at the feet of President Mnangagwa and Zanu PF.

This blame game is the label of the CCC and all its branches. The parroting of the blame by CCC is a well calculated ploy so that they can gain sympathy from their handlers. 

As usual, CCC is preparing to challenge the election results. So the blame is not only frivolous but misleading and far removed from the reality of the situation.

Looking at this case, CCC has dragged itself in a big deep hole because of their self-imposed strategic ambiguity. 

This tardiness and disorganisation is a fault of their own making.

The nomination date was announced well in advance and all political parties, including Zanu PF had adequate time to put their house in order and file their papers. The nomination date was published to all parties so there was no reason for CCC to delay in submission. 

The disqualification of the 12 is as a result of the CCC’s tactic not to publicly disclose its party candidates while administratively running party issues from Harare.

CCC leader, Nelson Chamisa, stated their tactic was to safeguard candidates and prevent infiltration by Zanu PF.

However, since candidates handed in their nomination forms at the last minute, having just received them from Harare, which was in charge of checking the nomination papers, the technique exposed CCC’s ‘poor’ preparation despite the fact that the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) opened up the nomination process at its district, provincial and headquarters offices on June 21, 2023.

The delay by CCC takes the accession that they submitted at 15:35hrs. This is a party with no structures so there was only one person signing off the candidates. 

When people have no structures and no constitution and not even a shadow cabinet then they are doomed. You need a structure and personnel to do different roles. When you are told to have a structure and you claim to have a strategic ambiguity you are a monster to yourself.

 You resort to a feudal model where you have a king where the same king is the administrator and everything.

The silly policy of strategic ambiguity shows lack of seriousness. 

The delay in submitting was organic it stems from selfishness where they are creating a myth around Chamisa.

The CCC is using Chamisa’s dictatorship to fight the established democracy of Zanu PF.

It is common knowledge that in election, there is need for accountability and transparency. 

An election is different from counting cattle in a village. It is sophisticated; it needs manpower and decentralisation of power. 

It is easy to blame Zanu PF when you mess up. You cannot leave a precarious amount of time for the last minute. 

This is because Chamisa had to sign for all candidates.

How was he going to execute an electoral system alone? The lunacy of being selfish came home to roost. 

Assuming the judge was wrong there is a larger concern about someone who runs a machinery as if he is running a village. 

Should this man be allowed to run the affairs of Zimbabwe, we will be doomed. 

Chamisa has run CCC as a personal item. He has side-lined his allies Tendai Biti and Welshman Ncube. Chamisa has indeed used the election to prune his party of the brains behind his strength. 

To Chamisa, anyone who is not Fadzayi Mahere is not important. His selfishness has cost his party and gifted Zanu PF.

Chamisa scored an own goal and caused confusion which marred CCC nomination process at almost every court throughout the country.

Confusion and chaos characterised opposition CCC party’s nomination process in each and every court and this was more visible at the Harare Magistrates Court.

If an eagle’s eye is applied in the nomination process, Chamisa will lose more seats to Zanu PF because of his stubbornness. He demanded that he had to oversee the nomination of candidates from his party.

In some cases, CCC candidates in Bulawayo, Chiredzi and several other places were waiting for Chamisa to bring the signed copies from Harare. 

In reality, CCC’s candidate nomination process only started moving forward after 1600hrs with most of the candidates being cleared in court after the doors were closed. 

This was at Harare magistrates court and if this is to be challenged, more seats will be lawfully given to Zanu PF. 

To show seriousness, Zanu PF had finished filling their candidates’ nomination papers by 11am. For CCC, in most courts by 1800hrs, the party was in sixes and sevens as some members were now being turned away for late submissions. 

The whole CCC election preparedness resembled a dogs breakfast. 

The chaotic experiment by Chamisa imploded and this caused the disqualification of the candidates in Bulawayo. In actual fact, there was supposed to be more than 40 disqualifications. 

All this drama shows the party’s lack of preparedness. There was no need to wait for the final day, June 21, to carry out this crucial task.

Instead of learning from their mismanagement and logistical shortfalls, the CCC has chosen to throw the blame on Zanu PF accusing it of employing “lawfare” against them.

In actual fact, the CCC is abusing the courts in trying to have their sloppiness corrected at court. 

Their claim is devoid of substance and logic.  Zanu PF is not the party which instructed CCC to delay their submissions. The notion that Zanu PF has used courts against the CCC is both ludicrous and offensive. 

Professor Jonathan Moyo said on his Twitter: 

“Contrary to the party’s audacious claim that all of its 12 parliamentary candidates submitted their nomination papers before the Bulawayo Nomination Court closed, evidence paints a different story…, one of the candidates, Gift Ostallos Siziba — a close confidante of Advocate Nelson Chamisa —was caught on camera in Harare when the Nomination Court in Bulawayo closed at 4pm. So what was he doing in Harare when the nomination court for him was in Bulawayo. 

“This brazen contradiction shows that the CCC’s claims are not grounded in truth, but rather in a desperate bid to shift blame and evade responsibility for their failure to meet basic electoral obligations.”

Clearly, and inexplicably, Ostallos Siziba found himself outside the wrong court in Harare, when he should have been at the Nomination Court in Bulawayo.

This glaring oversight not only undermines the credibility of the CCC’s claims, but also paints a vivid picture of a political entity caught up in a whirlwind of disorganisation and confusion.

It demonstrates a lack of co-ordination, foresight, and strategy within the party, which can be detrimental to its overall political mission. CCC is purporting to be champion of democracy and yet they act with impunity. 

CCC had only one job to do; submit candidates on time and they failed to do that. Chamisa surrounds himself with yes man and stooges.

The only one thing to do in five years is that they wait until it is 35 minutes to deadline for nomination. 

Chamisa took Bulawayo to be an afterthought and such recklessness shows that there is no commitment to develop the city. 

His strategy has clearly shown that ambiguity begets confusion. This has given CCC a new meaning which is ‘Convergence of Confused Citizens’.

[email protected]