Chamisa pledges structured political project after lessons from CCC turmoil

HARARE – Veteran Zimbabwean opposition leader Nelson Chamisa has said that his latest political initiative will be anchored on clear structures, systems and institutions, marking a departure from past formations that critics said were weakened by the absence of a constitution and defined leadership organs.

In an interview with South Africa’s SABC News, the former Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) leader insisted that the new project will prioritise structure as a safeguard against infiltration, instability and internal conflict.

“We need to make sure that we are structured. We need to make sure that we have systems and institutions so that we have big institutions and big ideas, and not big men,” Chamisa said, adding that personalities should not overshadow collective leadership and ideas.

Chamisa stepped aside from active leadership of the CCC in 2024, claiming the party had been captured by the ruling Zanu-PF through state-sponsored infiltration.

His departure followed months of internal turmoil that saw little-known figures, most notably Sengezo Tshabangu, emerge claiming senior leadership positions and triggering recalls of opposition legislators.

Critics of CCC argued that the party’s lack of a formal constitution and clear structures made it vulnerable to such disruption.

Political analyst and former cabinet minister Professor Jonathan Moyo warned in 2024 that structureless and constitutionless political formations are “easily infiltratable” and cannot function as democratic or progressive parties, a critique that has frequently been applied to CCC.

“Anyone anywhere who at any time comes up with a political party with no structures and with no constitution, or who makes himself or herself the structure and constitution of the party is his or her own worst enemy,” Moyo stated at the time.

In the SABC interview, Chamisa said lessons had been learned from previous setbacks and that the opposition must now “perfect its act” to confront what he repeatedly described as a dictatorship.

“We’ve learned our lessons. We’ve learned from our mistakes. And because we’ve learned, we definitely have to perfect our act and our dance.

“The next time you’ll see, as we are going to show on the ground, that we have to fight and overcome this dictatorship. The fact that we have had challenges doesn’t necessarily mean that we must give up.

“We must continue to fight. That is how struggles are won. That is how revolutions are undertaken across the world.”

Chamisa rejected suggestions that he was “returning” to politics, instead saying he was “stepping back” after stepping aside due to internal developments.

He framed his renewed engagement as a response to what he called a citizen’s call, a citizen’s duty and a patriotic obligation to lead efforts aimed at democratic change in Zimbabwe.

Addressing persistent divisions within Zimbabwe’s opposition, Chamisa argued that fragmentation is not the core problem, claiming that ordinary citizens remain united around the desire for change.

He described the emergence of multiple opposition formations as “renewal” rather than division, saying it provides voters with a broader choice while the real challenge remains state interference and institutional capture.

Chamisa also outlined a 180-day focus period aimed at legal and institutional fortification, grassroots mobilisation and political consciousness, though he did not provide detailed operational timelines.

He stressed that credibility in future elections would depend not on whether he personally wins, but on whether the electoral process reflects the will of the people and meets constitutional and regional standards.

Calling on regional bodies and political parties, including Southern African Development Community (SADC) and South Africa’s African National Congress, Chamisa appealed for greater involvement in pushing for electoral reforms in Zimbabwe, arguing that flawed elections have become a regional burden.

“It has been a vicious circle of rigged and manipulated elections, even on account of SADC, the AU (African Union), and the world overall electoral observation reports.

“They’ve concluded that the elections in Zimbabwe are a disaster. And that is what we must correct. That’s why we have written to SADC to say, help us help ourselves.

“You are the aunt of the region. You are the empire of the region. Help us to correct these issues,” Chamisa stated.