. . . imposes, fields double candidates
. . . Women at the mercy of male chauvinists
Faith Duri
MASVINGO – It’s only a new name! The rest is not so different from the disbanded Movement for Democratic Change – Alliance (MDC –A) from dictatorship, imposition of candidates, fielding double candidates to shoving of women candidates as was witnessed when the newly formed Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) members filed their applications for both national assembly and local government by-elections slated for March 26 this year.
CCC adopted the same leadership of the MDC Alliance; the presidium led by Nelson Chamisa, his three deputies Tendai Biti, Welshman Ncube and Lynette Karenyi-Kore and the provincial structures – the same leadership that imposed candidates, blocked female candidates as well as fielding double candidates in the 2018 general elections. It seemed this leadership has continued with the old habits following reports of double candidates and blocking of women at the just ended nomination process ahead of the by-elections on March 26.
In Masvingo Urban Ward four (4) a female candidate who was chosen through consensus by party members in the ward suffered a huge blow after powerful men in the national executive shoved her aside and replaced her with Aleck Tabe on the eleventh hour at the nomination court. Fortunately for Muchuchuti, she had already submitted her application resulting in the ward having two CCC candidates. Muchuchuti is now at the mercy of male chauvinists who are forcing her to withdraw her candidature to pave way for Tabe.
Her papers were signed by party acting chair Job Sikhala and secretary general Charlton Hwende, the same leadership which allegedly appended their signatures again on Tabe’s papers on the day the nomination court sat. The same happened in Bulawayo where two wards had double candidates and, according to party sources, there is no clear justification why Muchuchuti and the other Bulawayo candidates were being replaced except that the districts were under immense pressure from the national leadership to do so.
Contacted for comment Job Sikhala said he was not the one who signed the papers, referring all questions to Fadzai Mahere.
“Take from the press conference done by Fadzai Mahere,” said Sikhala.
Mahere could not say anything when TellZim contacted her for comment. Instead she sent a link of a press conference which did not say anything with regards to the question she had been asked. There is only one female councillor at Masvingo City Council and CCC seems to care less about women empowerment and democracy.
What is more worrying is the party’s stance to block female candidates – it happened again in 2018 when Muchuchuti walloped Godfrey Kurauone at party primaries but the national leadership pushed her out and replaced her with the latter. It is now believed that Kurauone, who fairly lost to Muchuchiti then, is still bitter about that embarrassing loss he experienced hence is doing anything to block her from replacing him after he fled the country and sought refuge in the United States of America. Kurauone is believed to be using his powerful position as youth national organizer to settle his selfish cheap political battles.
When contacted for comment Kurauone distanced himself saying he is outside the country and there is no way he can influence issues happening back home. Perhaps Kurauone forgets that the internet makes the world a global village where one can interact with anyone, anywhere across the world.
“I am not in Zimbabwe, so how am I involved? The party leadership is dealing with the issue. Eventually we will have one candidate in Ward 4,” said Kurauone.
And true to Kurauone’s word, the two candidates have since been summoned to Harare today (January 28) by the leadership and reliable sources in the party said Muchuchuti will be forced to withdraw her candidature. If Kurauone was not involved as he claimed saying he was out of the country how then did he know to the dot that the leadership will deal with the matter where one candidate will eventually remain to contest for Ward 4.
Muchuchuti declined to comment on the matter but insisted that she has been working with the people in Ward 4 since the time Kurauone fled the country.
“I do not want to comment on this matter. What I can tell you is that I have been working with the people since the ward had no councillor,” said Muchuchuti.
Ordinary party members expressed displeasure over the national leadership imposing candidates, saying fielding double candidates was destroying the party.
“We could have won many parliamentary seats in 2018, but we lost because of fielding double candidates as well as imposing candidates who were unpopular. “Mai Muchuchuti won primaries against Kurauone in 2018 but the leadership imposed him to contest general elections. The same has happened again now and we no longer understand this; is the party against Muchuchuti or it is against women from ascending to powerful positions in general?” questioned a CCC member.
Another party member from Ward 4 did not mince his words and clearly stated that he will never vote for someone who is not known by the structures.
“I don’t have anything against Tabe the person, but we cannot be so blind to allow simple infiltration. We cannot allow people who are not party cadres and elbow out those who have been with the party and the people. We all know Tabe’s history and we cannot suddenly allow him to stand on party ticket. This widow (Muchuchuti) was rigged by Kurauone in 2018 and we cannot allow the same thing to happen again,” said a concerned Ward 4 voter.
Tabe who is the leadership’s preferred candidate once left the party to join MDC Renewal then People Democratic Party (PDP). Tabe even won a court order at some point and auctioned MDC-T property in order to retrieve his outstanding salaries the party owed him when he was the provincial administrator. He is the guy who was ‘anointed’ by Kurauone to take over Ward 4 against the will of the ordinary people in the ward.
Efforts to address the impasse resulted in some of Masvingo interested parties travelling to Harare in a move likely believed to try and resolve the matter.
CCC Masvingo provincial spokesperson Derick Charamba said he did not travel to Harare but the party’s provincial chairperson Advocate Martin Mureri and Aleck Tabe are the ones who went while Thokozile Muchuchuti also did not travel because she has not yet recovered.
“I did not travel to Harare. Mureri and Tabe are the ones who travelled and I think they are on their way back now. The other candidate (Muchuchuti) did not travel with them. She had not yet recovered from the injuries that she sustained,” said Charamba.
It is alleged that Muchuchuti suffered injuries when she was attacked on the nomination day by other aggrieved party candidates’ supporters and the matter is pending after it was reported at Masvingo Central police station.
Efforts to get a comment from Mureri where fruitless as his mobile phone went unanswered at the time of publishing.
