HARARE – Sengezo Tshabangu, the self-imposed secretary of the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC), is making a last-ditch effort to salvage his dwindling political career by vehemently denying any affiliation with a faction led by Welshman Ncube.
This comes after his recent dismissal from the party following a disciplinary hearing initiated by Ncube’s CCC faction, which he attended under protest.
Prior to that, Tshabangu became public enemy number one after controversially recalling and literally firing over 50 CCC MPs and Senators, claiming that those he recalled were illegally ‘imposed’ as party candidates by Chamisa’s faction.
Within the CCC, deep divisions have emerged, with factions reportedly led by Jameson Timba and Welshman Ncube. Tshabangu, however, now refers to these factions as CCC-Blue and CCC-Green respectively, further highlighting the fractured state of the opposition party.
The CCC Blue is understood to represent a faction aligned to the party’s founding leader, Nelson Chamisa, while the CCC-Green alludes to Ncube’s historical association with the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), which previously adopted green as its party colour.
In a statement released through his spokesperson, Nqobizitha Mlio, Tshabangu sought to distance himself entirely from the Ncube faction. “Senator Tshabangu is not and has never been a member of CCC-Green and, as the record will show, he was not nominated or deployed as a Senator in Parliament by CCC-Green or by any of its officials, not least by the embattled Ncube,” Mlio asserted.
The statement further claimed that Tshabangu has never participated in any meetings or belonged to any structures within the CCC-Green faction, making his expulsion by that faction unlawful. “It is a matter of the public record, which is very easy to confirm or to verify that Senator Tshabangu has never ever attended any meeting of any party structure of CCC-Green nor has he ever belonged to any party structure of CCC-Green from which he can be lawfully expelled by CCC-Green.”
Mlio also pointed to ongoing court cases between Ncube and Tshabangu, arguing that these legal battles demonstrate their belonging to distinct and separate party formations within the broader CCC framework. “Indeed, even the court record in which Prof Welshman Ncube and Senator Tshabangu have been litigants against each other since 3 October 2024 will clearly show that they belong to different party formations CCC.”
Furthermore, Tshabangu’s camp has accused Ncube of opportunistically claiming CCC leadership solely to gain control of party funds allocated under the Political Parties (Finance) Act. Mlio alleged that “The CCC-Green led Prof Welshman Ncube, whose current preoccupation is grabbing party finances by any means available, and which is largely if not exclusively composed of former members of MDC-Green, and which has particularly become active in the courts and noisy in the media from around 3 October 2024 when Prof Ncube and his cronies started eying to loot party finance due to CCC under the Political Parties (Finance Act).”
The dispute between Ncube and Tshabangu has indeed spilled into the courts, further illustrating the deep-seated divisions within the CCC. Mlio emphasized that Ncube and his CCC-Green faction have consistently referred to Tshabangu as “a male adult” in legal documents, never acknowledging him as a member or official of their party. “Ncube and his CCC-Green have never cited Senator Tshabangu as belonging to their party or as their member or their party official,” Mlio stated. “Instead, they have been citing Senator Tshabangu as ‘a male adult’. They have never considered him as one of their number.”
The statement went on to accuse Ncube of a shameless pursuit of money, suggesting that this was the sole motivation behind his legal actions against Tshabangu. “Embarrassingly, their love of and shameless quest for money was the only reason Prof Welshman Ncube and his CCC-Green came alive in court on October 3, 2024 and became an active and quarrelsome political outfit, recklessly charging like wounded bulls from court to court in pursuit of Senator Tshabangu.”
In response to Tshabangu’s actions, Ncube’s faction has vowed to recall him as a Senator from Parliament, further escalating the conflict.
The current crisis within the CCC stems from Tshabangu’s controversial move to “snatch” the party from its founding leader, Chamisa. This action led to the recall of numerous CCC legislators, triggering costly by-elections and further destabilizing the opposition.
It is widely believed that Tshabangu was promised millions of dollars under the Political Parties Finances Act after he seized control of the CCC. However, he has reportedly not received any funds to date, as the government has stated that it is awaiting the resolution of the leadership disputes within the party before disbursing any money.
The infighting within the CCC has raised serious questions about the party’s ability to effectively challenge the ruling Zanu PF party in future elections. The divisions and accusations of self-interest have eroded public trust and confidence in the opposition, leaving many Zimbabweans disillusioned with the political landscape. As Tshabangu fights to salvage his political career, the future of the CCC hangs in the balance.
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