Zanu-PF lost support at parliamentary and municipal by-elections at the weekend, despite using state resources, intimidation, violence and state media against opponents.
Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s ruling Zanu-PF party suffered a heavy defeat to a newly formed opposition party in parliamentary and municipal by-elections held in several constituencies across the country.
Nelson Chamisa’s Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) cruised to victory in 19 parliamentary constituencies out of the 28 contested. Zanu-PF won the remainder, including two previously controlled by the opposition.
The CCC also claimed 61% of the vote in local government contests in several urban and rural municipalities.
Zanu-PF remains popular in rural areas, despite a poor voter turnout in most constituencies. The seats fell vacant after a faction of the Movement for Democratic Change-Alliance, led by Senator Douglas Mwonzora, recalled several legislators and councillors following a Supreme Court ruling last year. The ruling held that Chamisa’s ascendancy to the presidency of the main opposition party was unprocedural in terms of the party’s constitution.
Chamisa has accused Mwonzora of being used by Mnangagwa’s party to decimate his party — a charge that Mwonzora denies.
‘We are happy that we won 19 parliamentary seats and the people have shown that they do not trust the Mwonzora cabal. However, the run-up to the polls was not easy because of the lack of electoral reforms, violence and the banning of our rallies by the police,’ said Fadzayi Mahere CCC spokesperson.
Mwonzora remains the opposition leader in Parliament as he still controls most of the opposition legislators elected under the MDC-Alliance ticket. Some of the parliamentarians and councillors, however, have pledged allegiance to Chamisa’s newly formed party despite facing the risk of being recalled.
[Image: John Mukwasha, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=78745943]