Gift Ostallos Siziba Sheds Light on MDC’s Complexities and CCC Formation
Harare, Zimbabwe – June 25, 2024 | In a wide ranging presentation on X-Space last night, Gift Ostallos Siziba provided an in-depth account of the historical and ongoing challenges within the MDC and the formation of the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC). The session, summarized by Champion Peter Makotose, covered critical aspects of party dynamics, legal battles, and strategic shifts.
1. **MDC-T 2019 Congress**: Siziba clarified that the 2019 Congress was the fifth for the MDC-T. He discussed the constitutional challenge of requiring candidates to have been members for five years, and how this was navigated to include members from allied parties like MDC-Green and PDP.
2. **Youth Resistance Against Douglas Mwonzora**: Siziba revealed that MDC-T youth discovered plans by Douglas Mwonzora to take over the party. Despite their efforts to expel him, Nelson Chamisa advocated for peace and unity, ultimately preventing Mwonzora’s ousting.
3. **National Consultations on Party Name**: Siziba described President Chamisa’s nationwide consultations, including engagements with traditional leaders, to determine the party’s future. These consultations faced significant resistance and challenges, including incidents of violence and blockades.
4. **ZANU-PF’s Strategic Moves**: Siziba attributed the opposition’s difficulties to ZANU-PF’s attempts to dominate key areas of autonomy: Parliament, local government, Treasury allocations, and party headquarters. He argued that these efforts aimed to weaken the opposition.
5. **Patel Judgment and MDC-A Demise**: Siziba explained the impact of the Patel judgment in the Mashavira v. MDC-T case, which ruled that MDC-A had no legal standing as a party. This decision nullified the 2019 Congress and restored leadership to the 2014 Congress lineup, leading to the takeover by Mwonzora and Komichi.
6. **January 22, 2022 Meeting**: Siziba argued that this meeting was not legally binding due to the court ruling. Despite the lack of legal protocol, Job Sikhala chaired the meeting out of respect.
7. **Origin of CCC**: Siziba clarified that the name CCC was not decided in the January 22 meeting. Instead, Nelson Chamisa later introduced the name and began appointing party positions, forming the Citizens National Assembly as the top decision-making body.
8. **Position of Secretary General**: During consultations, it was clear that the party base no longer wanted the Secretary General role due to past conflicts caused by former SGs splitting the party.
9. **Branding and New Party Formation**: Siziba countered claims that the January meeting resolved to rebrand the party, stating it decided to start a new party entirely. Legal advisors in the meeting explained that rebranding was impossible for an entity deemed non-existent.
10. **Respect for Former Titles**: Siziba highlighted the continued respect for previous positions held by leaders, which is a common practice in the democratic movement, despite members parting ways.
11. **Candidate Selection Process**: Siziba detailed the changes introduced by the election bureau, leading to the formation of the Citizens Independent Selection Panel (CISP). This new process emphasized youth, gender diversity, new faces, and local representation in candidate selection.
12. **Success of CCC**: Since its inception, the CCC has achieved notable successes, including control of urban councils, preventing a ZANU-PF two-thirds majority in Parliament, and increasing youth representation.
13. **Tshabangu’s Alleged ZANU-PF Project**: Siziba accused Tshabangu of being a ZANU-PF project aimed at undermining CCC’s candidate selection process, supported by individuals dissatisfied with the outcomes.
Ostallos Siziba’s detailed account provides a comprehensive understanding of the internal and external challenges faced by the MDC and the strategic evolution leading to the formation of the CCC. His presentation underscores the complexities of Zimbabwean opposition politics and the ongoing struggle for political space and legitimacy.