Khupe joins CCC as ordinary member after attending Chamisa meeting

MAKOKOBA – Zimbabwe former Deputy Prime Minister Thokozani Khupe declared herself a member of the Citizens’ Coalition for Change (CCC) on Saturday after attending a meeting held by party leader Nelson Chamisa.

Khupe was sitting in the crowd at Mc Donalds Hall in Makokoba.

She wrote on Twitter: “Today I attended my first meeting as a CCC member addressed by President Chamisa in Bulawayo.”

Her spokesperson Ntando Ndlovu said: “She believes that to defeat an authoritarian government like Zanu PF, the opposition political parties must unite and form an impressive force against Zanu PF.

“As things stand, the CCC party is the only viable alternative to Zanu PF and therefore believes that opposition political actors must unite under the CCC and support Chamisa. Alliances have caused problems before. People should unite instead of forming alliances.

The CCC was launched in January, ironically after Khupe – as leader of MDC-T – became the biggest beneficiary of a 2019 court order stripping Chamisa’s MDC alliance of assets, funding government and its elected deputies and councillors.

Khupe lost the leadership of the MDC-T to Douglas Mwonzora in 2020, sparking a long sulk that ended in his expulsion from the party last month.

Many Chamisa supporters expressed concern over Khupe’s overtures, fearing she would cause divisions within the new party.

However, Chamisa has held several meetings with Khupe and believes the former trade unionist will add value to the party, although she is unlikely to be given a leadership position before the general elections next year.