Acting President of the Citizens Coalition for Change, Welshman Ncube, has accused former party leader Nelson Chamisa of turning the nascent opposition party into a one-man show before his resignation.
Chamisa resigned from the CCC last month over infiltration after the self-imposed interim secretary-general, Singiso Chabangu, wrested the party from him and summoned lawmakers and councillors.
Chamisa unveiled the CCC in January 2022 after he lost control of the MDC coalition to Douglas Mwonzora.
The CCC has since split into three factions: one led by Chamisa loyalists, another led by Chabangu, and the faction that merged under the 2019 MDC structures, with Ncube emerging as its first acting president.
Ncube, Tendai Biti and Lynette Karini-Kor take over as acting CCC chairpersons on a 90-day rotation basis.
In a wide-ranging interview with Bulawayo-based online news channel CITE, Ncube indirectly criticized Chamisa’s leadership style, which he said had created the crisis that is confusing the opposition.
“We got here because we now have a situation where collective democratic leadership no longer functions as a single entity, and we have been unable to come together as elected individuals, as elected leadership, to address the challenges that we have been facing,” he said. He said.
Ncube said there were fundamental differences within the party, with major meetings and other engagement platforms suspended.
We have suspended National Council meetings. Some of us believe we are fighting Zanu PF, an authoritarian and undemocratic party with a single center of power. “We must prove that we are the opposite of Zanu PF,” he said.
“We must do while in opposition the things we are expected to do when we get into government, not run a tyrannical, autocratic, theocratic opposition and then expect real, loyal people to believe that once you come to power, you no longer believe in tyranny and theocracy.
“These are the differences we had in the opposition.”
Ncube said he was elected as the first deputy president of the opposition because of his seniority.
He added: “Now that the party president has resigned and distanced himself from the party, it was necessary for us to step up to the plate, take responsibility and ensure that the party returns to the right track, and therefore we will take turns.” ,” He said.
“The Standing Committee has decided that I will start first as the eldest of the three Vice-Chairmen who were elected in Gweru, and therefore, for the next 90 days, I have been assigned to do everything I can, and to work with the other Vice-Chairmen, to work with the Party Secretariat, and to work with the rest of the party administrations to confront The challenges the party faces today.
Ncube revealed that he last spoke to Chamisa two months ago.
He has distanced himself from Chabangu.
Earlier reports said that Biti and Ncube were disgruntled party figures behind Chabangu as they sought to wrest the party from Chamisa.
Chamisa has not announced his next move since stepping down as CCC leader.
Some CCC lawmakers chose to stay on, saying they could not resign in solidarity with Chamisa due to a lack of clarity on the way forward. Newsday
