Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition (CZC) chairman, Dewa Mavhinga, resigned Monday, citing deep mistrust and wrangling that he said had become untenable for effective leadership.
His deputy, Samukeliso Khumalo, takes over until the organization’s Annual General Meeting next year. Mavhinga tendered his resignation at a special council seminar by members in Harare.
“I am stepping aside immediately to stop smear campaigns that this struggle for institutional values is just about personal interests,” he said in a statement.
“We condemn in the strongest terms the use of violence in all forms and the politicization of administrative issues and now realize that the only way to save the best interests of the organization is to step aside as I hereby do now.”
The persistent bickering in the civil society umbrella body over Mavhinga’s leadership, among other issues, had recently sparked several pullouts by affiliates from Bulawayo, and many other organizations were threatening to follow suit.
Mavhinga accused the Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition secretariat of resisting “good governance, transparency and accountability,” and urged its members to step down.
Crisis spokesman Mfundo Mlilo said Mavhinga’s departure was a positive development that will allow the civil society lobby to refocus.
“This is a positive development considering the challenges that the Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition has been facing,” Mlilo said.
“In our view this is the beginning of a process to restabilize the organization; to put it on its proper agenda of fighting for democracy and good governance in Zimbabwe.”
The Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition boasts more than 350 civil society affiliates, and says its mandate is to “promote freedom and democratic values through encouraging dialogue, tolerance and the shaping of ideas by Zimbabweans from all walks of life.”