Zimbabwe: '2017 Taught Us a Big Lesson' - Chamisa Rejects Calls to Join Geza's Planned Protests

Former Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) leader Nelson Chamisa said he will not participate in the 17 October planned protests against President Emmerson Mnangagwa's government.

This decision, he explains, stems from the opposition's experience with the November 2017 military takeover. He says their involvement then served as a salutary lesson, teaching them not to become entangled in Zanu-PF's internal factional and succession battles.

This follows a call from ousted Zanu-PF Central Committee member Blessed Runesu Geza for a one-million-man march on Friday, aimed at protesting against Mnangagwa and his alleged corrupt cartel. Geza's accusations target a number of high-profile figures, including controversial business tycoons such as Wicknell Chivayo, Geo Pomona CEO Delish Nguwaya, Paul Tungwarara, and Kudakwashe Tagwirei.

However, analysts suggest that the planned protest goes beyond mere accusations of corruption but points to a deeper succession war playing out between Mnangagwa's faction and his deputy, Rtd General Constantino Chiwenga.

Chiwenga is the favourite to take over from Mnangagwa, with many believing he has been patiently waiting for his turn. Yet, his path is reportedly being obstructed by Mnangagwa loyalists, who are now calling for the incumbent to extend his term of office beyond the constitutional limit of two terms.

This echoes the experience of the opposition previously, the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), as it was then known, which took to the streets in a protest that ousted former President Robert Mugabe from power, anticipating a role in a new government.

That hope proved to be short-lived. The MDC felt betrayed and used, having been abandoned by Zanu-PF and Mnangagwa himself shortly after Mugabe's departure.

Responding directly to calls for him and his supporters to join Friday's protests in Harare, Chamisa wrote, "2017 taught us a big lesson!".

He added that the root cause of the country's problems lies in disputed elections, maintaining that until this issue is addressed, Zimbabwe will remain trapped in its socioeconomic and political challenges.

"Ignoring the 2023 stolen election is ignoring the root of our crisis. Anything that does not address the 2023 stolen election is a fraud and a waste of time. Corruption, capture, suffering - they're symptoms of a disputed mandate and a contested government. Let's treat the cause, not the symptoms," Chamisa wrote on his X account Monday.

Chamisa still commands a considerable following among opposition supporters despite his resignation from the CCC in January 2024, which left the opposition in further disarray.

Read the original article on New Zimbabwe.