The leader of a faction of Zimbabwe’s opposition Movement for Democratic Change, Thokozane Khupe has urged people to vote for Nelson Chamisa’s Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC), in the forthcoming council and parliamentary by-elections.
Addressing reporters in Bulawayo, Khupe said his party has decided to back CCC candidates to ensure that they beat the ruling party in the by-elections.
The ZANU-PF party currently controls parliament with a two-thirds majority.
Zimbabweans go to the polls on Saturday to elect 28 legislators and 105 councilors to fill posts left vacant due to recalls and deaths of representatives since 2020.
The parliamentary poll is being conducted in eight out of the country’s 10 provinces. The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission says all logistical arrangements are in place and it has set up 1 317 polling stations for the parliamentary election across the eight provinces.
However, the main opposition political party, the CCC has described the electoral field as uneven after it failed to campaign in some areas due to police bans of their rallies.
Campaigning wrapped up in Zimbabwe ahead of Saturday’s poll with the opposition coalition for change finally holding its rally in Epworth which had previously been banned by the police.
The youthful leader decried the unevenness of the playing field and blamed the Zimbabwe electoral Commission for not being fair and neutral.
“We have seen what ZEC is doing. ZEC had proved that they are not ready to run a general election. Why do we see that they have not availed the voters roll that they are supposed to avail? We see that they have not passed the critical test that they are supposed to pass.
“The integrity test, the professionalism test, the accountability test the constitutionality test but more importantly they have to pass this test of being non-partisan. ZEC must not be an extension of ZANU-PF because ZANU-PF is just a political party,” says Citizens Coalition for Change President, Nelson Chamisa.
