HARARE, – Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) acting president, Welshman Ncube, has warned that Zimbabwe’s persistent economic and political challenges will not be resolved as long as the country continues to hold disputed elections.
Addressing victory celebrations for CCC’s Tsholotsho Ward 1 councillor, Witness Khumalo, Ncube criticized President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s government for being “blatantly and selfishly greedy,” contrasting it with the administration of the late former president, Robert Mugabe, which he said showed at least some respect for governance processes.
Ncube reflected on Zimbabwe’s history of electoral disputes, dating back to the year 2000, and recalled the words of the late opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai, who frequently criticized the futility of participating in elections under unfair conditions.
“Tsvangirai used to say, if you keep doing the same thing over and over, expecting different results, that is the definition of insanity,” Ncube said. “We have been participating in elections since 2000, each time there’s a dispute, and the country continues to decline.”
Ncube linked the country’s unresolved political issues to its deteriorating economy, including the failure to maintain a stable currency. “Who among you has ever seen this currency called the ZWG (formerly ZiG)? If you have, what does it buy?” he asked.
He went on to describe the nation’s economic struggles, lamenting the leadership’s lack of action. “The country’s wealth keeps dwindling while the leaders look the other way,” he said. “I live in both Harare and Bulawayo, but I have never seen the ZiG with my own eyes. The economy is crumbling, yet we are busy chanting slogans about the ‘Second Republic’ and the ‘Third Republic,’ while nothing changes.”
Ncube also accused Mnangagwa’s administration of using state power, including the police and military, to maintain control, warning that if the current trend continues, the country will face the same problems in future elections. “Do we want to reach 2028, knowing that the same people will still be at the top, stealing and using force to stay in power?” he asked. “By then, we’ll already be talking about 2033 and 2038. Is this not madness?”
In his remarks, Ncube acknowledged that while the Mugabe era had its faults, the current administration is even worse in terms of corruption. “Back in Mugabe’s time, they were stealing too, but at least they didn’t flaunt it,” he said. “Mugabe had 23 farms, even though he preached ‘one man, one farm,’ but today’s leaders don’t even pretend to share the wealth—they take everything without shame.”
He accused the Mnangagwa government of openly contributing to the country’s economic collapse. “They flaunt their wealth while the rest of Zimbabwe suffers from poverty, joblessness, and wages that don’t last a week,” he said.
The CCC secured Ward 1 in Tsholotsho in the August 2023 harmonized elections, a victory Ncube attributed to the party’s commitment to addressing the country’s longstanding political and economic issues.
Source: News Day