VIOLENT scenes and skirmishes characterised the CCC candidate selection process yesterday which was curiously presided over by American-funded non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in a clear manifestation of the foreign hand behind the opposition party.
This comes as experts have called for the signing of the
Private Voluntary Organisations (PVOs) Amendment Bill to put an end to the
dabbling in politics by NGOs that have, since the turn of the millennium, been
used by the country’s enemies to push for an illegal regime change.
Hitherto, the Act has been silent on the matters giving
Civil Society Organisations a blank cheque to do as they please, and at times
putting national security at risk.
The purported 11-member independent candidate selection
committee that is overseeing the CCC candidate selection process is being led
by the former chairman of Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition, Mr Rashid Mahiya, the
current executive director of Heal Zimbabwe – an NGO that claims to be
apolitical.
Another director of a local NGO, Mr Rodrick Fayayo, who
heads the Bulawayo Progressive Residents Association, is also part of the panel
as well as the Citizens Manifesto programmes co-ordinator Mr Vivid Gwede.
The director of Women Academy for Leadership and
Excellence, Ms Stabile Dewa, Zinasu leader Mr Boris Tadiwanashe Muguti, Zinasu
co-ordinator Mr Alister Pfunye, CCC communications expert Mr Tawanda Moyo and
leaders of Apostolic Faith Mission Church also form part of the Committee which
also has lawyer and former MDC MP Advocate Eric Matinenga.
AFM pastor Mr Blessing Munyanyiwa is the national commissar
for the committee and is responsible for the deployment of ward commissars, who
are drawn from various Pentecostal churches.
CCC leader Mr Nelson Chamisa allegedly created this shadowy
group to handpick his preferred candidates, but that was all up in flames
yesterday as angry party supporters demanded a secret ballot as opposed to his
community consensus model.
In the Midlands province, a lecturer from Women University
in Africa who is the dean of social studies and is also a member of AFM Pastor
Douglas Mambhure’s church, is conducting the provincial recruitment process
through a Whatsapp group called Pastors for Change.
But the involvement of American-sponsored NGOs and pastors
did not prevent violence in various parts of the country, with the process
being suspended where fist fights broke out over attempts by some candidates to
influence the process in their favour.
For instance, in Harare, Ward 24, Highfield, the process
ended prematurely as it was disrupted by candidates Gilbert Bgwende, Silas
Machetu, and Tashinga Buwu who were of the view that the selection process
favoured sitting MP Eric Murai and the ward councillor Lovemore Makuwerere.
In Rugare, there were skirmishes after the presiding
officer had informed CCC supporters to group according to their streets and
have consensus nominations of preferred candidates.
Chanting party supporters demanded the process to be
stopped as they wanted the secret ballot, and accused the party leadership of
practicing dictatorship.
At Warren Park Creche, the process was forced to stop as
the attendees were saying their names were not appearing in the registers.
Apart from NGOs, the elections were being superintended by
churches, mostly pastors from AFM, which is also Mr Chamisa’s church.
In various wards in Bulawayo, there were no signs of
commissioners, people were just wandering around up until midday. Herald
🟡CANDIDATE NOMINATION WATCH:
— Citizens' Coalition for Change (@CCCZimbabwe) April 5, 2023
Today, we witnessed a massive turnout of enthusiastic citizens as Citizens Independent Selection Panel (CISP) conducts a peaceful, open and transparent candidate nomination process across the country. #CandidateNominationDay pic.twitter.com/exrtP4c7Io
0 comments:
Post a Comment