George Charamba, the spokesperson for President Emmerson Mnangagwa, has issued a stern warning to the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC), led by Nelson Chamisa, cautioning against resorting to mass action to pressure Zanu-PF into negotiations. Charamba emphasized that such a strategy could lead to severe repercussions for the party and its leader.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Charamba advised Chamisa to engage in negotiations with Sengezo Tshabangu, asserting that Tshabangu is currently open to dialogue. Tshabangu, who declared himself the CCC’s interim secretary-general in October, has been responsible for recalling numerous CCC representatives, thereby reducing the opposition’s presence in Parliament.
Charamba issued a clear warning, suggesting that if Chamisa believes mass protests will sway Zanu-PF and lead to negotiations, he must be mindful of the formidable opponent he is dealing with. There was an implicit indication that the State’s security apparatus would vehemently suppress any attempts at organizing mass protests by the CCC. Charamba remarked:
“I have been following reports on Chamisa’s recent CNA meeting. The resolutions purportedly released after the meeting, along with subsequent media interviews, suggest that the CCC is contemplating the idea of mass action to ‘force Zanu-PF to the negotiating table’!
“…A fundamental principle in politics is understanding your audience; there seems to be a lack of awareness in the CCC, especially Chamisa, regarding this basic political principle that guides what can and cannot be achieved. Politics is about what is feasible.
It’s important to note that the government deployed the military in central Harare on August 1, 2018, to quell suspected MDC Alliance supporters who were protesting against perceived delays in releasing election results. This intervention resulted in at least six people being shot dead while attempting to flee from the soldiers.”
Source – pindula
