CCC congress: Moyo whistling from graveyard
THE social media has been awash with calls for the Citizens Coalition for Change to hold an elective congress almost four months after it was formed.
Failed politicians such as former Cabinet minister Jonathan Moyo are at the forefront of offering free advise to CCC leader Nelson Chamisa on why it is imperative to hold such a congress.
Opposition political parties are formed to wrest power from the incumbent, not to hold congresses.
At this moment in time, CCC should ignore the likes of Moyo, who are whistling from the political graveyard and concentrate on mobilising people to register to vote and coming up with structures, especially in rural areas.
The rural vote has been the kingmaker in elections since independence.
Zanu PF suspended the holding of congresses from 1977 until 1990 because circumstances were not permitting. Why should Chamisa hold a congress for the sake of it.
CCC supporters know their leaders and we know Moyo is up to no good.
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He failed to destroy Zanu PF from within and now he has set his eyes on the yellow movement.
Why is Moyo very concerned about CCC going to congress when we have several parties that have never had congresses.
Congresses are guided by a party constitution which CCC does not have.
If Chamisa was to organise a congress as per the former Information minister’s recommendation, who would attend?
The point is it is the constitution which spells out who should attend. Moyo should stop imposing the Zanu PF constitution on CCC.
A rushed congress will expose the party to vultures and infiltration.
Chamisa has, to date, earned the confidence of Zimbabweans across the political divide, at least according to attendances at his rallies around the country, and the 2018 presidential election outcome, despite frustrations at the hands of the Zanu PF government.
If there is need for a congress, the end of 2023 would be ideal. –Chief Chiduku
Lessons from March by-elections
WITH the support from Diakonia, the Women’s Academy for Leadership and Political Excellence (Walpe) from April 08 and 12 2022 conducted capacity-building training in transformative feminist leadership for 120 young women and women with disabilities in Masvingo rural.
Some of the topics covered during the training included political career development, introduction to public service and volunteerism, negotiation and consensus building, voter mobilisation, among others.
The aspiring women leaders also tasked each other to mobilise first-time voters and encourage them to register to vote and vote for women in the 2023 elections.
With regards to the recently held by-elections, the following was observed:
lLimited coverage of female candidates both in the public and private media.
lCases of violence against women was rampant. Both covert and overt forms of violence were recorded in periods preceding the election.
lNames of voters was being written down by Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec) officials at polling stations. When Zec was asked about it, it indicated that the information was for tracing COVID19.
lIt was raining in some of the areas observed by the Walpe teams which might have affected voter turnout.
l Some of political parties which contested in the by elections did not have polling agents in some areas.
It is key for political parties to take seriously the voting process and make sure they deploy enough manpower for accountability and transparency’s sake.
lThere is a general misconception among Zimbabweans, the media included, that it is the responsibility of women’s rights organisations to ensure more women contest and win elections.
To the contrary, the primary responsibility of guaranteeing equality lies with political parties whose internal elective processes discourages women from contesting for leadership.
Citizens also have a responsibility to change their mindset and attitude towards female leaders and register to vote and vote for female candidates. They are also responsible for ending all forms of violence against women in politics.
Walpe will continue with the 2,2 million votes for women from women campaign by registering more female first-time voters across the country. –Walpe
Govt should act urgently on tertiary students accommodation
TERTIARY institutions should make sure they recruit students they can accommodate in their hostels so that everyone is equally and decently accommodated.
Government should enter into partnerships with the private sector, notably banks and corporates to construct students accommodation among other things.
Government needs to ensure adequate funding and resources are allocated to learning institutions to better our education.
Responsible authorities should also talk with those who offer off-campus accommodation and agree on maximum rentals for accommodation, which can guarantee the safety and well-being of students who live off-campus.
Some landlords in Mount Pleasant near the University of Zimbabwe are charging as much as US$100 per head for a room occupied by more than seven students.
Education has become expensive.
Government must religiously follow up on deals it signs with the private sector to ensure provision of accommodation is done in a timely fashion before irreparable damage is done to the ailing education system.
Taking a leaf from developed countries such as the United Kingdom, the United States and South Africa, provision of student accommodation must be guided by a comprehensive policy framework, which moves away from hall-style residence hostels to more student-centred apartments, with the adoption of head lease schemes and public-private partnerships.
These student apartments would do away with problems of overcrowding and also protect the privacy and personal spaces of students using on-campus accommodation. –Poor student
