Staff ReporterThe Citizens’ Coalition for Change (CCC), an opposition party in Zimbabwe, has decided not to publicly release the names of its members who were nominated during the ongoing Consensus Candidate Selection process. The party fears that releasing the names of nominees would make them targets of victimization, harassment, or intimidation by Zimbabwe’s ruling party, ZANU PF, especially in rural areas.
Speaking to journalists on Thursday, CCC deputy spokesperson Gift Siziba explained that after the party’s nomination process, a vetting process was conducted, which will be followed by manifesto presentations. The presentations are set for this weekend, and the final list of council and parliament candidates will be announced soon.
Siziba emphasized that the party is dealing with a regime that is in panic, and one of its ways of manipulation is to use fear against those who differ with the state or President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s administration. He added that the party has faced significant challenges of fear in rural areas, which has resulted in the decision to keep the names of nominees in the countryside confidential to protect them from violence, harassment, or intimidation by ZANU PF supporters and security forces.
In recent decades, Zimbabwean elections have been characterized by politically motivated violence, with opposition party members and supporters often targeted by ruling ZANU PF party supporters and security forces. This has raised concerns about the fairness and transparency of elections in the country.
The decision by the CCC to keep the names of nominees in rural areas confidential is a clear indication of the party’s concern for the safety and security of its members. It remains to be seen how the ruling party will react to this development and whether it will have any impact on the upcoming elections in the country.