Time’s a quarter to X!: ZPP January 2022 Monthly Monitoring Report

ZPP’s January 2022 monthly monitoring report explores the political landscape in the context of the impending by-elections and the the recall of Dr Khupe by Douglas Mwonzora. Read on!

2021 was a tumultous year and ZPP recorded over 2468 human rights violations and the entry into 2022 marked the beginning of heightened electoral activity. It was the month when President Emmerson Mnangagwa proclaimed March 26 as the date for by-elections in consituencies and wards where elected representatives were recalled, or died. This proclamation sent many political players into a fever as they sought to position themselves to participate. This is the same month when Zanu PF prepared for and conducted its primary elections to select candidates that would contest on behalf of the party on March 26.

In the same month, Douglas Mwonzora, who had all along claimed to lead the MDC-T, announced that he was now leader of the MDC Alliance, ironically after he had led a recall of councillors and legislators for belonging to the Nelson Chamisa led MDC Alliance. This turmoil in the opposition added to political tensions in the country and on 24 January, two days before the nomination court sat to register candidates for the March 26 byelections, Chamisa announced he and his supporters were forming a new outfit, called the Citizens’ Coalition for Change (CCC), and were dumping the name MDC Alliance.

The political bombshells did not stop there as Thokozani Khupe, Vice President to Mwonzora’s MDC-T, announced a split of the party, and her taking over leadership of the other faction. In the same breath, though confusing many who watched the political game of takeovers, Dr Khupe’s lawyers had written to Mwonzora after she had been suspended arguing, Mwonzora had expelled himself from the MDC-T when he claimed leadership of the MDC Alliance.

Read the full report here (3MB PDF)

Source: Zimbabwe Peace Project