Citizens Coalition for Change - The African Mirror

Jun

29

2024

Dozens beaten, some arrested after Zimbabwe opposition leader denied bail

NEWS

ZIMBABWEAN police beat dozens of opposition supporters and arrested several outside a court in the capital Harare, after Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) party members were denied bail following their arrests two weeks ago. A Harare magistrate denied bail to the party's interim leader Jameson Timba and 78 activists arrested on June 16 for holding a political gathering which authorities said was unauthorised. Timba took over as interim leader of the CCC after former leader Nelson Chamisa quit the party in January, alleging it had been hijacked by the ruling ZANU-PF party. Police anti-riot units guarded the entrance to the court and…

Jun

18

2024

By The African Mirror

Zimbabwe police arrest opposition leader and 80 youths, says lawyer

NEWS

ZIMBABWE police have arrested opposition leader Jameson Timba and 80 youths for holding a political gathering which authorities said was unauthorized, their lawyer said. Timba took over as interim leader of Citizens Coalition for Change after former leader Nelson Chamisa quit the party in January, alleging it had been hijacked by the ruling ZANU-PF party. The arrests were made on Sunday. "They are still in custody and we are working on their release. They are likely to be charged with maintenance of public order laws," lawyer Agency Gumbo told Reuters. CCC party spokesperson Promise Mkwananzi said the arrests were "regrettable" and showed…

May

14

2024

By FRANS VILJOEN

Zimbabwe’s likely to abolish the death penalty: how it got here and what it means for the continent

SPECIAL FEATURES: ANALYSIS

ZIMBABWE is likely to abolish capital punishment, following a cabinet decision on 7 February 2024. However, its parliament still has to endorse the move and pass the necessary law enabling the change. The question is when this will happen, especially since it appears that it would require a constitutional amendment. When this happens, Zimbabwe will not only draw a line under a long-standing colonial legal import but also bolster continental and regional trends towards abolition. It will also provide certainty to – and spare the lives of – the 62 prisoners currently on death row. The change was initiated by…

Jan

31

2024

By NYASHA CHINGONO

Zimbabwe opposition leader freed from two years’ pre-trial detention

NEWS

A Zimbabwean court freed opposition politician Job Sikhala after nearly 600 days of pre-trial detention on charges of inciting public violence in 2022. Sikhala, 51, a leader in the opposition party Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC), has been arrested dozens of times since he began his political career in 1999. He was jailed in 2022 for obstruction of justice and inciting public violence after saying that the ruling party, ZANU PF, had killed an opposition activist, which it denied. He denied all charges against him. On Tuesday, a Harare magistrate convicted him of inciting public violence but gave him a…

Nov

02

2023

By NYASHA CHINGONO

Abduction of opposition MP draws anger in Zimbabwe

NEWS

A Zimbabwean opposition lawmaker was abducted by unknown armed men, assaulted and then dumped about 50 km north of the capital Harare, members of his party said. Takudzwa Ngadziore, 25, one of the youngest legislators for the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) posted a live video on Facebook showing a man running toward him with a rifle before it cut off after seven seconds. He was later found near mine shafts in the village of Mazowe naked, badly assaulted and injected with an unknown substance, said CCC chief whip in parliament Amos Chibaya. "Ngadziore was this morning on his way…

Jul

10

2023

By The African Mirror

Zimbabwean court upholds opposition campaign launch ban

NEWS

A Zimbabwean court upheld a ban on the planned campaign launch by the main opposition party Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC), the third of its rallies to be banned as its leader Nelson Chamisa faces hurdles on his campaign trail. CCC was scheduled to hold its campaign launch on Sunday in Bindura, about 100 km (62 miles) north of the capital Harare, but police banned the gathering citing problems with the venue. CCC lawyers filed an urgent application at the High Court on Friday challenging the police decision, but a judge on Sunday referred the matter back to the lower court. Bindura…

Jul

09

2023

By The African Mirror

Zimbabwe police block opposition campaign launch

NEWS

ZIMBABWEAN police have blocked the launch of the main opposition party's election campaign set for Sunday in the latest clampdown on the president's main rival ahead of presidential and parliamentary polls in August, citing problems with the venue. Nelson Chamisa, leader of the opposition Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC), has faced several hurdles on the campaign trail, with police banning a number of meetings in Zimbabwean cities and towns this week. In a letter seen by Reuters on Friday, police said the opposition party could not conduct the rally in Bindura, 90 km (56 miles) north of the capital Harare, because the…

Jun

01

2023

By The African Mirror

Zimbabwe to hold general election on Aug. 23

NEWS

ZIMBABWE will hold its presidential and parliamentary elections on August 23, President Emmerson Mnangagwa said, as the southern African country continues to battle a raging economic crisis. Mnangagwa, elected president in 2018, will be seeking a second term in office. His election followed a military coup that deposed Robert Mugabe in 2017. The 80-year-old's main rival is lawyer and pastor Nelson Chamisa, 45, who leads the newly formed Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC). The election proclamation comes amid parliamentary debates over electoral reforms. Chamisa's party is demanding access to and an audit of the voters' roll, as well as public…

Jan

29

2023

By The African Mirror

Zimbabwe court grants bail to 26 opposition party members

NEWS

A Zimbabwean court granted bail to 26 opposition party members who were arrested for holding what authorities said was an unlawful gathering. The arrest of Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) members, including two Members of Parliament, stoked fears of a crackdown on opposition politicians ahead of a crucial election this year at a yet-to-be-announced date. "This confirms that the arrest was an abuse of process in the first place," CCC spokeswoman Fadzayi Mahere told journalists outside court. "All this shows that the regime's paranoia has reached fever pitch and they notice that they are staring defeat in the face." Zimbabwean…

Jan

16

2023

By The African Mirror

Zim police arrest 25 opposition members ahead of presidential election

NEWS

ZIMBABWEAN police fired teargas at an opposition party gathering in Harare and arrested 25 of its members, including two members of parliament, the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) said. The arrests come after a wave of politically motivated violence against opposition supporters in rural Zimbabwe, raising fears of repression ahead of the presidential election this year. The date has not yet been announced. Police confirmed the arrests of members of the Citizens Coalition for Change, Zimbabwe's main opposition political party, and said a detailed statement would be released following investigations. "It was an unsanctioned gathering according to the local authorities…