2018 Presidential elections candidate and leader of the Coalition of Democrats (CODE) has stepped down from his position with top Gweru businessman, Trust Chikohora being elected to lead the movement- now transformed into a single political party.
Parties merged into the new party under the former coalition include the Renewal Democrats of Zimbabwe which was led by Elton Mangoma who was also the CODE President but has since stepped down, Mavambo/Kusile/Dawn (MKD) led by Simba Makoni, Zim First led by Dereck Lupemba and the African Democratic Party (ADP) led by Maselina Chikasha.
The newly formed CODE party steering committee Chairman, Trust Chikohora said the coalition is no longer a grouping of parties but one single party.
“CODE held an Assembly in Harare of the National Executives of the parties and all our candidates that participated in the 2018 elections under the CODE banner.
“We have resolved that CODE ceases to be a coalition from now onwards, the parties have merged to form the CODE Party and so we now have one party,” Chikohora said.
The Gweru based Chikohora said former Energy Minister and CODE President Elton Mangoma has since stepped down and will now focus on the broadening of a Council of Elders that has been created by the new party.
“Elton Mangoma who was the CODE presidential candidate in the 2018 elections has stepped down from the leadership of CODE.
“We have created an institution called the Council of Elders which will be there to safe guard our democratic principles and values, to provide guidance to our nation and organisation in terms of political matters and other matters that guide our institution, which Mangoma will be working on broadening it,” he said.
Chikohora, a Chartered Accountant running his own firm, said after Mangoma’s retirement from leadership, a four member steering committee has been set up to fill the leadership vacuum up to the new party’s National People’s Convention for the creation of the ‘mass opposition’ movement.
Chaired by Chikohora, the other three committee members are Dereck Lupemba, Portia Chivhange and one Wadness.
He said the committee will grow as more stakeholders come on board with time.
A national executive committee was also elected at the Harare Assembly.
He said the new CODE party is open to work with all like-minded parties and stakeholders in the different sectors of the economy and social movement to create a broad based party with focus on unseating Zanu PF in the 2023 elections.
CODE was formed on the 9th of August 2017 and endorsed Elton Mangoma as their Presidential candidate ahead of the 2018 general election.
