Main opposition Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) leader Nelson Chamisa has said he is excited by the entrance of former cabinet minister Saviour Kasukuwere into the 2023 presidential race, saying this would divide Zanu-PF and give the opposition a chance to lead Zimbabwe.
Chamisa filed his nomination papers at the High Court on Wednesday together with other presidential candidates including his biggest rival President Emmerson Mnangagwa.
Kasukuwere sent his lawyer and chief election adviser Jacqueline Sande to file on his behalf.
Asked by a journalist to comment on the impact of the entrance of Kasukuwere in the presidential race, Chamisa said he was excited that this time he would face a divided Zanu-PF.
“This time we’re facing a factionalised, split and divided Zanu-PF. Now, a divided opponent is a weak opponent and we’re excited. We’re even more united ourselves,” he said.
Candidates paid US$20 000 to contest in the presidential elections, aspiring legislators paid US$1 000 and US$200 for candidates for local authority elections.
Against this background, Chamisa slammed the exorbitant nomination fees charged by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) for aspiring candidates.
“It’s a scandal that ZEC would get almost half a million. Almost US$600 000 from candidates. Candidates are offering themselves to serve lead. But then you can’t ask them to pay for providing public service.
“It doesn’t make sense. It’s a scandal. It’s illegal. It’s un-African. These are all tactics to ensure that they stop us. But guess what, grace is abundant, the race is ours. No matter what they are trying to do, God is in it,” he said.
Meanwhile, Kasukuwere’s lawyer assured the nation that her client would physically campaign to dislodge Mnangagwa ahead of the plebiscite.
“Saviour Kasukuwere is expected to roll out his campaign plan himself but it should start soon,” Sande said.
“The nomination itself has been accepted as of now. His whereabouts, I cannot divulge but he is going to be available to campaign for himself because as you know as a presidential candidate you need to hit the ground running and to meet the electorate and sell them your ideology, proposals and get them to vote for you so he is not going to campaign outside the country he is going to be around.”
Kasukuwere served as a cabinet Minister and Zanu-PF political commissar before he fled Zimbabwe during a military coup that ousted the late former president Robert Mugabe in November 2017.
Analysts believe that if Kasukuwere manages to contest, as a former top Zanu-PF official, he will garner a significant number of votes enough to divide Zanu-PF and pave the way for the CCC, the main opposition party.