On Thursday, Nelson Chamisa, the prominent leader of Zimbabwe’s opposition, declared his departure from the party, citing “intimidation and violence” by the ruling regime, a few months after an unsuccessful presidential bid.
“This is to officially, and under my hand, inform you fellow citizens of Zimbabwe and the world, that, with immediate effect, I no longer have anything to do with Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC)” Chamisa said, in a statement.
“The original CCC idea has however been contaminated, bastardised, hijacked by Zanu-PF through the abuse of State institutions,” he said, accusing the ruling party of President Emmerson Mnangagwa of dirty tricks.
Following President Mnangagwa’s surprising reelection at 81, securing a second term and granting the ruling Zanu-PF party a parliamentary majority, international observers criticised the election for falling below democratic standards, leading to heightened political tensions.
Known as “The Crocodile” for his ascent to power after the 2017 coup that ousted Robert Mugabe, Mnangagwa faced a resignation announcement from CCC leader Nelson Chamisa, 45.
In his statement, Chamisa referenced the nickname, stating, “I will refuse to swim in a river with hungry crocodiles. We need to extricate ourselves from the shenanigans. I will have nothing to do with sewer pond politics.”
Zanu-PF, often accused of using courts to target opposition figures and stifle dissent, secured 177 of the 280 national assembly seats, while the CCC claimed 104 in the August 23 poll.
A subsequent political crisis saw over 30 opposition lawmakers losing their seats, with an obscure figure declaring himself the CCC’s “interim secretary general” and asserting that 14 MPs were no longer party members, leading to their seat losses.
