Gambakwe in the video is discussing the formation of a new political party in Zimbabwe aimed at uniting opposition forces to effectively challenge the ruling ZANU-PF party in the 2028 elections. He emphasizes the need for a solid political party with clear leadership structures, as opposed to movements, which he argues cannot govern a country. Gambakwe is facilitating the coordination of this party but will not take a leadership role himself; instead, he will handle international relations.
He reveals that a poll within the group shows Advocate Mahere as the most popular potential presidential candidate for 2028, with significant support compared to others like Pastor Ivan. Gambakwe outlines plans to dissolve existing smaller parties and movements (except ZANU-PF) to consolidate into this new party, which will have about 100 national and provincial leadership positions to accommodate everyone involved.
He stresses the importance of having a legal framework and constitution for the party, with a proper leader chosen before forming the party structures. Gambakwe is actively engaging with various political figures and groups to bring them together under this initiative, aiming to have 100,000 supporters by the end of July 2025.
Additionally, Gambakwe addresses misinformation about one of the key figures, Sarwaka, defending his integrity against rumors of corruption. Overall, the message is a call for unity among opposition forces to create a formidable political alternative capable of defeating ZANU-PF in the upcoming elections.
Leadership and Structure:
- Gambakwe is facilitating or coordinating the formation of the new political party, not seeking a leadership position himself [02:18].
- The immediate goal is to find a leader for the party [02:09].
- A framework document has been distributed to serve as a skeleton for the party’s constitution, code of conduct, roadmap, and governance structures [02:25, 02:48].
- While about five or six people were initially considered for leadership, everyone will have a role in the leadership structures [03:08].
- The party, tentatively called M31, aims to have approximately 100 national and provincial positions [05:39, 12:00].
- Gambakwe’s own role will be in international relations/secretary for international affairs, in an administrative capacity, not as a politician [08:39, 08:47].
- The plan is to have the president of the party form the structures to ensure the president is in charge [11:16, 11:30].
- A national elective conference is anticipated in December [12:50].
Presidential Candidate Selection:
- A poll is underway to gauge support for potential presidential candidates [03:38].
- Advocate Faher is currently the most popular choice in this initial poll, with 63 votes out of about 200 [04:05, 04:13].
- Gambakwe intends to formally approach the chosen candidate with a legal document outlining the people’s desire for them to lead the party and be the presidential candidate for 2028 [07:33].
- The goal is to have 100,000 people in the voting group by the end of July [07:57].
Goals and Strategy:
- The primary goal is to create a solid political party that can defeat the ruling party (Mangaba/ZanuPF) [08:12, 12:00].
- The party aims to unite various opposition figures and parties, asking them to dissolve their current entities and join this new formation [05:12, 12:34].
- Gambakwe emphasizes the need for a political party structure rather than a movement, arguing that countries are led by parties, not movements [07:03, 09:18].
- The new party intends to start contesting elections by January [19:31, 19:40].
- The ultimate aim is to take power to make change [21:26].
Challenges and Context:
- Gambakwe believes Zimbabwe is in a crisis due to poor leadership, not just in government but generally among Zimbabweans [01:09].
- There’s an acknowledgment of confusion in the country, which this initiative aims to clarify [00:47].
- Gambakwe mentions Cooksman’s apology, deeming it insincere [01:41].
- He addresses and dismisses rumors about Saruwaka (another potential figure) regarding financial misconduct, stating that key figures trust him [15:09, 15:30].
- Gambakwe believes Zanu-PF is weak and can be defeated by young people, especially with a popular candidate like Maher [12:57, 13:05].
Other Potential Figures Mentioned:
- Besides Faher, other names mentioned as potential candidates or figures within the party include:
- Job Sikhala (currently number nine in the poll, with Gambakwe suggesting he dissolve his “NWG”) [06:12, 12:29].
- Pastor Evan (surprisingly low in the current poll) [04:19].
- Saruwaka (suggested for a security role) [06:41, 14:51].
- Jealous Mawarire (praised for organizing skills) [10:02, 18:08].
- Rumbie (envisioned as a spokesperson or in a significant role, with a desire for 50% of positions to go to women) [10:09, 17:02].
- Chibaya and Ostalos were mentioned by people calling Gambakwe [17:21, 17:30].
- Dubeko was also mentioned by callers [17:36].
- Hopewell (suggested for chairman) [18:25].
