Chamisa says – ‘We don’t need five days to turn the fortunes of the country’

Opposition Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) leader Nelson Chamisa said his party does not need more than five days to rescue Zimbabwe’s economy if voted into power in 2023.

Chamisa was addressing thousands of supporters at Rujeko Grounds in Masvingo on Sunday. Zimbabwe will hold by-elections to elect 28 parliamentarians and 105 councillors this coming Saturday.

The CCC leader urged President Emmerson Mnangagwa to “retire” and give him a chance to transform the struggling economy.

“We want Mnangagwa to retire and watch how we run this country. If he goes, we don’t need five days to turn the fortunes of the country, we will stop corruption and theft of national resources,” Chamisa said.

“I can assure you that I can defend the ideals of the revolution better than Mnangagwa. Under my leadership, I will not allow an inch of Zimbabwe, its resources and sovereignty to go into the hands of any foreigner.”

Mnangagwa and Chamisa are set to face each other for the second time in the 2023 harmonised general elections. Mnangagwa controversially won the 2018 elections but Chamisa claimed he was rigged and went on to lose his Constitutional Court challenge because of judges mahy felt were captured by Zanu PF.

Chamisa, however, said “this time I am not going to take any issue of electoral fraud to court. I tell you this time it is never going to happen, not this time around.”

The opposition leader dismissed allegations that its leadership had failed to run local authorities. He also urged the nation to campaign peacefully ahead of elections.

“He (Mnangagwa) has destroyed the country, yet he expects local authorities to function. His stance is equal to asking a person milking a dead cow to have milk, if the national economy is dead, councils can’t perform,” Chamisa said.

“We can’t allow anyone to die for the attainment of political power. People must be allowed free political choice, if your choice is Zanu PF which brings you hunger, then that is your choice, if you choose CCC for a better life, I will deliver the best for you.”