In a fierce battle for control over the Bulawayo party offices, loyalists of Nelson Chamisa find themselves entangled in a bitter dispute with a rival camp from the Citizen Coalition for Change (CCC) and the MDC. The offices, previously under the ownership of the MDC and later the MDC Alliance before being taken over by the CCC, were unexpectedly repainted blue on Monday night.
Residents of Bulawayo woke up on Tuesday morning to a surprising sight: the once yellow-painted offices now adorned in blue, with a prominent portrait of Nelson Chamisa displayed prominently. Speculation has arisen that Chamisa is on the brink of launching a new party, with blue as its chosen colour.
The MDC leader, Douglas Mwonzora, wasted no time in stirring controversy, claiming ownership of the offices and expressing his outrage over what he perceived as a takeover by Chamisa’s faction. In a recorded audio statement, Mwonzora voiced his concern, stating, “Yesterday (Tuesday), we woke up and realised that some criminals have invaded and painted our Bulawayo offices blue,” Mwonzora said in recorded audio.
“These are people who are apparently preparing to form a new party. We placed it on record that these offices and many others in the country belong to the MDC; the paper work attests to that … MDC will never tolerate invasion of its hard-won properties.”
Responding to Mwonzora’s assertions, CCC Bulawayo spokesperson, Swithern Chiroodza, dismissed the claims, stating, “We don’t know what Mwonzora is talking about. We don’t know what Mwonzora is huffing and puffing about. Blue has always been our colour. We have blue and yellow, and I can assure you we are not done yet.”
Meanwhile, Sengezo Tshabangu, self-proclaimed CCC secretary-general, threatened legal action in response to the office repainting. “We will be taking legal action soon. We are preparing court papers to stop this criminal activity,” Tshabangu declared, as reported in the State media.
The CCC has been embroiled in turmoil since Chamisa’s departure from the party, citing infiltration and hijacking by alleged ZANU PF proxies, including Tshabangu, who emerged from nowhere last year and began exerting influence within the party.. Tshabangu’s actions led to the recall of several Members of Parliament (MPs), Senators, and councillors affiliated with the CCC.
Yesterday, a faction aligned with Tshabangu and Chamisa announced separate plans for the way forward after Chamisa’s abrupt exit from the party.
The battle for control over the Bulawayo party offices continues to escalate, with both sides firmly asserting their claims. The legal action threatened by Tshabangu adds another layer of complexity to the ongoing dispute. As tensions rise, the future of the offices and the political landscape in Bulawayo remain uncertain.
