“Shameful Betrayal”: Chamisa Slams CCC MPs Who Backed ZANU PF On CAB3

Former Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) leader Nelson Chamisa has criticised opposition Members of Parliament who voted alongside ZANU PF to pass the Zimbabwe Constitutional Amendment Bill No. 3 in the National Assembly on Thursday.

A total of 216 MPs voted in favour of the proposed legislation, surpassing the 187 votes required for a two-thirds majority. Forty-two CCC lawmakers voted against the bill, while 35 others backed ZANU-PF in support of the amendment.

The Bill now proceeds to the Senate, where it is widely expected to pass, with ZANU-PF holding a dominant majority through traditional leaders and allied representatives who typically vote with the ruling party.

In a statement on Friday, 19 June, Chamisa said that many in the opposition have, over the years, lost friends and relatives through politically motivated violence, while others have been abducted and have disappeared without a trace.

He described it as a “shameful betrayal” for some opposition MPs to now align themselves with what he called the same forces responsible for the suffering of citizens.

“We do not merely bear the scars of politics; we carry deep wounds. We have been severely bruised, abused, and broken by this oppressive system of tyranny,” said Chamisa.

“Many of our friends and relatives lost their lives because of politics, and the pain remains as profound today as it was then.

“Some have been abducted and disappeared without a trace. Others have been forced to sleep in unimaginable places, including the mountains, simply to survive.

“We, along with many others, have been arrested, persecuted, and subjected to relentless harassment.

“We have been left for dead after numerous assassination attempts. We have been denied opportunities, marginalised, and deprived of the resources and means necessary to improve our lives.

“Food and government support or opportunities have been politicised and weaponised.

“We have been excluded, humiliated, robbed, and exploited continuously…day after day, season after season.

“And after all this, some choose to align themselves with and support the very oppressors and persecutors responsible for our suffering, all for money, personal benefits, and the desire to illegally remain in this illegitimate parliament.

“The citizens are the ‘ultimate parliament’ and shall determine the direction of our great country.

“To you, Oppressors and your sidekicks …Stop it or be stopped. Change can’t be delayed or denied any longer!”