By James Gwati-President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s spokesperson, George Charamba, has fired a warning shot at the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC), led by Nelson Chamisa, cautioning them against resorting to mass action to compel ZANU PF to negotiate. Charamba, in a post on X (formerly Twitter), urged Chamisa to consider negotiations with Sengezo Tshabangu, asserting that Tshabangu is open to engagement, “at least for now.”

Tshabangu, an activist within CCC, declared himself the party’s interim secretary general in October and has since initiated the recall of numerous CCC representatives, diminishing the opposition’s presence in Parliament.

Charamba sternly advised Chamisa that if he believes mass protests will sway ZANU PF and bring them to the negotiating table, he should remember the formidable opponent he is dealing with. Suggesting a potential ruthless response from the State’s security apparatus, Charamba stated, “A key principle in politics is understanding your customer; there is no clue anyone in Triple C, least of all Chamisa, works with this elementary political principle which informs what does and cannot do. Politics is the art of the possible.”

The warning comes amidst speculation that CCC may be considering mass action as a strategy to pressure ZANU PF. Charamba’s reference to the government’s deployment of the military in central Harare in 2018, where at least six people were shot dead during protests, serves as a stark reminder of the potential consequences of such actions. The stage is set for a high-stakes political showdown between Chamisa’s CCC and Mnangagwa’s ZANU PF.