Even President Mnangagwa listened to Chamisa’s speech #yellowfever

February 21, 2022
| Report Focus News
Zimbabwe's main opposition leader, Nelson Chamisa addresses a rally in Harare, Sunday, Feb. 20, 2022. Chamisa drew thousands of people at his first political rally since forming a new party weeks ago, as the country gears for elections that had been postponed due to COVID-19.(AP Photo/Tsvangirayi Mukwazhi)

As the campaign season effectively kicked off in Zimbabwe the yellow machine started off all pistons firing.

The images of Nelson Chamisa and Riki Fire, airborne mid-dance on stage at Zimbabwe Grounds, Highfieds, Harare on Sunday, will forever mark the genesis of Zimbabwe’s new political party Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC).

Chamisa and his CCC yellow machine chose the historical Zimbabwe grounds as a venue to kickstart their fresh political campaign and he stood on the shoulders of icons.

Even, President Mnangagwa listened. Chamisa was on fire carefully articulating the vision of his brand new political party and with a touch of deftness, he effortlessly wove in heroes past. Saluting the heroes of Zimbabwe’s struggle for freedom, he stood on the shoulders of icons such as Morgan Tsvangirai, Gibson Sibanda, Joshua Nkomo and even Robert Mugabe.

He introduced the son of the late Morgan Tsvangirai to the packed rally making sure he got his followers to recognise that the new political party was carrying the baton of change and a New Democratic dawn for Zimbabwe passed on from Morgan Tsvangirai.

Despite the challenges put in place by the authorities to stifle his maiden rally, it was well attended and Chamisa rose to the occasion and made an emphatic statement.

Indeed, Chamisa has come of age his address at the rally incorporated the teachers, the war veterans and the civil servants. He showed concern for the welfare of the workers and addressed the key concerns of all Zimbabweans in general.

Having Front for Economic Emancipation in Zimbabwe (FEEZ) leader Godfrey Tsenengamu address the rally was another touch of genius on Chamisa’s part. The endorsement from Tsenengamu was priceless.

Addressing the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) rally at Zimbabwe Grounds, Highfieds, the former ZANU PF youth league national political commissar castigated President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s government for alleged corruption.

Tsenengamu said ZANU PF leaders were stealing public resources as if the world was coming to an end.

Tsenengamu’s utterances will certainly cause a lot of anxious moments within ZANUPF.

It will be foolhardy for ZANUPF to ignore the yellow machine and Chamisa, he is indeed, a political force to reckon with.

The upcoming elections are going to present some interesting challenges, the options available to the citizens and the political arena is very interesting this time around.

Indeed, voters are woke, they are not listening to vested interests. Not listening to millionaires trying to buy influence. Not listening to highly selective focus groups
But the citizens, indeed the ordinary people have been given power to build their future, hence the call for people to register to vote.
The citizens have it in their hands to choose leaders and representatives who listen to their concerns about education.

Listen to their fears about the Health delivery system.

Listen to their disillusionment with politicians who break their promises and betray their trust.

The fight between ZanuPF and Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) includes millions in Zimbabwe. The livelihoods, the futures of young and old are depended on the outcome of this forthcoming election.

One would suppose Zimbabweans of all walks of life want an end to corruption. They want politicians to stand up and address the issues that matter to them.

They want commitments that are clear and costed.

They want leadership they can trust.

They are now less than 450 days to prepare for the next general election .

And there is just a couple of months left to determine the direction we take in those hundreds of days.

The attitude towards peace during the next couple of months as the campaign season kicks of will set Zimbabwe on either the right course or wrong trajectory for the years ahead.

The next couple of months can turn this into a campaign season about the issues that matter to the people.`

Any day now, I expect a barrage of lies and distortions from the State media, the like of which we have never seen before.

After so many years in office, (the corrupt) leadership of the ruling party have got very cosy with all that power – and they’re now more frightened than ever of losing their grip on it. And when ZANUPF gets frightened, they get negative, and they get nasty.

Instead of engaging in honest debate, they will engage the state media to distort the truth.

Instead of confronting voters face to face, they will intimidate people, whispering lies about the opposition selling out and selling the country back to our erstwhile colonisers.

Instead of talking about their record, they will fight the most negative, most nasty campaign imaginable.

Well, this time round citizens will not be cowed. The best antidote to negative ZANUPF campaigning is to fight positively on our programme for Zimbabwe.

To make the campaign in the upcoming elections a campaign the Zimbabwean people can be proud of.

All progressive Zimbabweans have a duty to make that happen. To offer people a different choice.

The investment to give our children the best possible education.

Clear, costed commitments to improve our dilapidated health delivery system.

Professionalise our police in the fight against crime.

Bring stability and long-term investment for business success.

Cleaner air and water, and a greener environment.

The guarantee of basic democratic freedoms for all citizens.

Make possible for a conducive environment that enables for an open government, fair votes, and holding power to account.

We have heard much about trust in the past election campaigns . But politicians can’t expect to be taken on trust. They’ve got to earn people’s trust.

Trust comes from being straight with people. It comes from being consistent in your principles and policies. It comes from sums that add up.

Over the 40 years, ZANUPF has proved that they cannot be trusted.

Over the last couple of months, Mwonzora and his MDC have failed to prove that they are worthy of our trust.

What Chamisa set out to do in this campaign is to earn people’s trust, unite Zimbabweans and build one nation.

He has stood on the shoulders of the icons. The choice of launching the #yellowfever, yellow movement, Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) at Zimbabwe grounds was indeed a connection to history, a historic moment connecting the present generation to the icons of Zimbabwean politics.