Factions of the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) are headed for a clash when they face off in the National Citizens’ Assembly today.
The CCC was thrown into turmoil after its leader, Nelson Chamisa, abandoned the party on the grounds that it had been hijacked by the ruling Zanu PF party.
The party’s two factions, one supporting Chamisa and the other backing self-imposed interim Secretary-General Sengizo Chabangu, will meet to map out the way forward amid fears of confrontation.
While no major details about the meeting have been revealed, a group of CCC lawmakers yesterday told NewsDay that they will not hand over the opposition party to imposters including Chabangu.
CCC spokesperson Promise Mkwananzi said a full statement on how to proceed would be issued today while rejecting the decisions taken at a meeting in Gweru on Sunday this week.
Spokesman for the faction that met in Gweru, Caston Mathieu, yesterday said the meeting decided to engage Chamisa to resume his role as party president. The Marondera Central lawmaker confirmed the meeting, saying they had decided to remain in the party.
He added: “We will not hand this movement over to an impostor, but rather we will fight until victory comes.” We will remain at CCC and this is final. “Some will say that we now belong to the Singizo Chabangu faction, and that is not true,” Mathieu said.
He said that if the talks with Chamisa failed, they would go to Congress to elect a new leader. “The CCC we serve does not recognize Chabangu as Secretary-General. We will hold a meeting tomorrow (today) in Harare to deliberate further on how to move the party forward. We are against the establishment of a one-party state. “We will talk to the media after the meeting,” Matteo said.
Chamisa’s decision to quit the party has left some lawmakers in a quagmire as others decided to leave the party with their leader. Mount Pleasant MP Fadzai Mahiri resigned from the National Assembly yesterday in a letter addressed to Parliament Speaker Jacob Mudenda.
Some lawmakers also took to social media to announce their decision to follow Chamisa out of the Central Advisory Council, while others pledged to continue. Norton lawmaker Richard Tsvangirai said he would remain in parliament.
“Today (Sunday), we met as Norton residents to deliberate on the resignation of Barrister Nelson Chamisa from CCC. Residents have agreed to stand by Barrister Nelson Chamisa,” he said on X (formerly Twitter).
“Nevertheless, Norton agreed that their delegates, the MPs and councillors, are doing a great job and should remain in Parliament and the Council and continue to carry out their constitutional mandate pending Barrister Nelson Chamisa’s announcement of the next step, as he promised in his affidavit.”
To add to the confusion, Chabangu emphasized the formation of a permanent national committee, adding that the CCC had embarked on the process of building structures as a basis for democracy.
Tshabangu’s close ally Khalifani Phugeni announced that Nkobizitha Mlilo has been appointed as the party’s official spokesperson and Mathieu and Decent Bagela will deputize for him respectively.
Yesterday, Mkwananzi rejected the new appointments.
“Citizen Coalition for Change refutes the statement that was allegedly issued in its name on January 28, 2024 by unknown persons claiming to be a permanent committee.” The party did not exist in 2019 and does not have a structure known as the Permanent Committee. The party has not yet held its inaugural conference.
“CCC decisions are made by the apex decision-making body – the National Citizens Assembly with the assistance of regional task forces and district groups,” Mkwananzi said. He appealed to CCC legislators and councilors to be patient, including activists, members, local leaders and supporters until formal communications on moving forward are made and confirmed.
Mkwananzi also insisted that he remains the party’s spokesperson until the CCC issues a clear position on the way forward. Analyst Stephen Chan, professor of global politics at the University of London’s School of Oriental and African Studies, said it was likely that a majority of CCC MPs would remain in parliament.
They were elected to represent something. Loyalty to their constituents may be stronger than loyalty to a leader who, at this moment, has no plan for his own way forward. They were also elected to oppose tyranny, and this opposition is best conducted in parliament – in alliance with whoever it is. He said Chamisa was able to take to the streets.
Another political analyst, Rushwit Mukundo, said Chamisa never ordered anyone to leave Parliament, adding that they would be wise to follow his example. It is created on social media where MPs and councilors should leave and follow Chamisa. If they have taken such a position, it is their principled position as Meher did.
“If the CCC needed to make an impact by withdrawing from Parliament and the Council when the Chabangu affair started last year, but the reality is that there is nothing in terms of impact that CCC MPs and councilors will contribute to a highly politicized and controlled Parliament.” [sic]“He told Newsday