CCC Official: I Won Polls But Didn't Make Official Party List

Several members of the opposition Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) have claimed that they won in the party’s selection process to determine Parliamentary and council candidates. However, they were ultimately not included on the official party list.

Gilbert Mutubuki, a former ZINASU leader, emerged as the winner in the selection process to elect the party’s representative for the Chiredzi West constituency but was not included on the official party list. Instead, Nhamoinesu Machigiri was included. In a Facebook post seen by Pindula News, Mutubuki thanked the citizens of Chiredzi West for their support and urged them to back the preferred CCC candidates for a big win. He said:

Thank you Chiredzi West citizens for your support in the @CCCZimbabwe candidates selection process.
Though I emerged as the leading parliamentary candidate, I, however, failed to make it on the official party list.
Let’s all support the preferred CCC candidates and win BIG.
#NHM

A video circulating on social media revealed that former Finance Minister Tendai Biti was announced as the winner in the selection process ahead of Allan Markham, but he also did not make the official party list.

Another official named Freddy Michael Masarirevu, who claimed to have led in St Marys, Chitungwiza, also did not make the official party list despite winning in the selection process. He said:

Thank you for supporting me throughout the selection process. you nominated me in numbers & came for caucuses in huge numbers. We won 3 out of 5 wards ( Ward 7, Ward 3 & Ward 4) came 2nd in (Ward 5 and Ward 1) and had the highest number. Unfortunately, that was not perceived enough as other criteria were said to have been used. Let’s congratulate the winner & support him. We are a peaceful party & democracy means accepting such outcomes. We conducted ourselves well and in a very peaceful manner…

No cases of violence reported. I was glad to have been able to instill christian values at least to most of those that supported me. I hope you maintain the standards. Let’s continue to support the movement and all the Candidate declared successful. We must win big on 23 August, keep your eyes open & don’t be distracted. God bless you!!!

The opposition party introduced a new selection system that is not yet clear to many, bypassing the normal primary elections. With the new system, aspiring candidates submit their profiles, which are vetted by internal security for eligibility. If they qualify, they present their manifestos on voting day, and the electorate votes by queuing behind their preferred candidate. However, in the cases mentioned above, the aggrieved parties passed the vetting process and won the election but did not make the official party list.

Party leader, Nelson Chamisa, argues that the new selection process was introduced by the party to prevent infiltration by the ruling ZANU PF and members of the central intelligence organization (CIO). The party has frequently accused ZANU PF and the security sector of infiltrating its structures to cause confusion and obtain information and strategies to use against it.

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