Citizens' Coalition for Change (CCC) leader, Nelson Chamisa, has expressed confidence in winning the 2023 presidential elections, in which he would defeat incumbent President Emmerson Mnangagwa, even without electoral reforms.
Addressing hundreds of CCC supporters at Gadzema Grounds in Chinhoyi Sunday, the maverick opposition politician said his new party would win next year's harmonised polls "against all odds", with or without electoral reforms.
He said CCC was engaging the Southern African Development Community (SADC), African Union (AU) and the United Nations (UN) to send observer missions to ensure transparency in the conduct of the watershed plebiscites.
"Against all odds, we are going to win elections. God is going to allow it, we are going to govern. Some are asking how we will win polls, but l have said we have done it before. The mistake we made in 2018 is that we won by a small margin," said Chamisa.
"Let everyone who believes in CCC register to vote. Winning by a small margin allows them to tamper with poll results.
"This time around l won't allow him to steal your vote, l will be waiting at the gates and waltz into the State House as soon as results are announced... whitewash, whitewash," said Chamisa, amid wild cheers from the multitudes who attended the event.
"This time around, we want to beat him hands down, by a wide margin, a big margin. Your vote is the gun," he emphasised.
CCC leader warned his charges against engaging in corruption, but rally behind the party's economic blueprint dubbed the 'New Great Zimbabwe Plan' to ensure resuscitation of various sectors, including security, education, health, agriculture and mining to bring prosperity to the nation.
The charismatic opposition politician said his party does not tolerate graft among elected public officials.
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He thanked the electorate for re-electing CCC councillors after their unceremonious expulsion by MDC-T president Douglas Mwonzora for ceasing to be members of the party.
"You voted in the by elections and did shine, without money and no T-shirts, but you went on to vote for CCC. Come 2023, we want to finish him (Mnangagwa) off."
Chamisa urged CCC stalwarts to disregard calls for formation of party structures, saying detractors were agitating for the process in a bid to infiltrate and destabilise the new movement.
"We are a citizens' movement, we are a new team, no one has a position, the citizens will appoint leaders, we are putting citizens first in everything we do."
Chamisa added the "Yellow Revolution" as exemplified by CCC's colour theme was not about leadership positions, but "an ideological disposition and a philosophical set-up."
The party held Sunday's 'thank you' rally after winning the recent by- elections in five out of six Chinhoyi urban wards.
CCC bagged Chinhoyi's Ward 2, 3, 8, 12 and 14, where its candidates Patricia Chibaya, Richard Vhitirinyu, Mukudzei Chigumbura, Dyke Makumbi and Chipo Mhlotswa romped to victory.
CCC lost Ward 4, where its candidate, Brighton Mhizha lost to Zanu PF's Ignatius Zvigadza.
