X/Twitter Space: What’s Going on with Zimbabwe’s Opposition?
Thursday, 8 February 2024
12pm Washington D.C.
5pm London
6pm Paris / Lagos / Kinshasa
7pm Harare / Cape Town / Cairo
8pm NairobiFor anyone who follows Zimbabwe, the past few weeks have been a blur. The country and its people are yet again reeling from a flawed and violent election, an economy in perpetual tailspin, and punishing corruption that even prevented the national football team from taking the pitch in Africa’s Cup of Nations. Perhaps the biggest story on people's’ minds, however, has been the rapid implosion of Zimbabwe’s main opposition party, the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC).
On 25 January, the CCC’s longtime leader, Nelson Chamisa – the party’s presidential candidate during the last two election cycles – abruptly resigned, alleging that its structures and leadership had been ‘contaminated’ and ‘hijacked.’ This announcement brought further confusion to a party already in disarray, since opposition lawmakers are now torn between following Chamisa in his walkout or staying put. Predictably, the resulting leadership vacuum has triggered a heated succession battle while fanning the flames of innuendo, conspiracy, and internal competition.
This Twitter Space – happening on Thursday, February 8 at 7PM Zimbabwe time –will bring together well-informed analysts to pierce the fog that currently hovers over the situation. This will be a conversation on accountability and next steps, as opposed to attributing blame and pointing fingers. It will also be a conversation that centers the Zimbabwean citizen and their aspirations. Join us!
Meet our panel
Hopewell Chin'ono
Hopewell Chin'ono is an award-winning and influential Zimbabwean journalist. He exposed multiple corruption scandals within the Zimbabwean government, currently led by President Emmerson Mnangagwa, who came to power by means of a military coup in November 2017. Hopewell has been arrested and jailed multiple times due to his work, yet remains an outspoken advocate for truth and accountability.
Glanis Changachirere
Glanis Changachirere is the Founding Director of the Institute for Young Women Development (IYWD), as well as the founding Regional Coordinator of the African Women Leaders Forum. Recently, she was a recipient of the 30 Under 30 Democracy Award from the National Endowment for Democracy due to her pioneering work on young women’s political participation in Zimbabwe.
Chipo Dendere
Chipo Dendere is a Zimbabwean academic and a thought leader on African politics. She has published influential work on a range of topics-- from the power of social media to the financing of opposition political parties. Currently, she is a Consortium for Diversity Post-Doctoral Fellow at Amherst College where she teaches courses on African Politics and Democratization in the Developing World.
Stephen Chan
Stephen Chan, a former international civil servant, is today one of the best-known writers on African politics -- and Zimbabwe in particular -- as a professor of world politics at SOAS, University of London. His illustrious career includes helping to pioneer modern electoral observation, publishing 35 books, and winning the 2010 International Studies Association Prize for Eminent Scholar in Global Development.
Moderation
Mantate Mlotshwa
Mantate Mlotshwa is a passionate advocate for the meaningful contribution of women and youth to democracy and governance processes. The Founder of the creative brand U Motle, she has earned a reputation for speaking her mind and promoting positive messages of liberation and emancipation in Zimbabwe and beyond.
Jeffrey Smith
Jeffrey Smith is an award-winning human rights campaigner, social media influencer, and a prolific writer. He is co-creator of The Resistance Bureau and also founding director of Vanguard Africa, a nonprofit organization that partners with visionary African leaders to defend democracy, build campaigns for free and fair elections, and promote ethical leadership.
Nic Cheeseman
Nic Cheeseman is the Professor of Democracy and the Director of the Centre for Elections Democracy Accountability and Representation (CEDAR) at the University of Birmingham. As well as the author of Democracy in Africa and How to Rig an Election, he is the editor of Democracy in Africa, a columnist for Africa Today and the Mail&Guardian, a contributing editor to The Continent, and an election junkie.