The Bulawayo High Court has reserved judgment in a case involving the Citizens Alliance for Change and Singiso Chabangu who posed as its interim secretary-general to obtain damages from Nelson Chamisa.
Chabangu is suing Chamisa after party offices were repainted from yellow to blue by youths allegedly allied with the former CCC leader.
The blue color appears to indicate a new political movement led by former CCC members Gift Austalos Sisiba and Musa Chibaya, who claim Chamisa will lead the country.
The party office, called Gertrude Mthombeni House, is located at No. 41 Fort Street between Second and Third Avenue in Bulawayo.
The CCC stated in its application that its office is the place where all regional party documents are kept and the party’s activities and programs are carried out.
They noted that Chamisa’s supporters forcefully took control of the building, occupied it, owned it and painted the entire offices and prefabricated wall, which was “illegal, harmful and amounts to vandalism.”
The case was heard on Thursday before Bulawayo High Court judge, Justice David Mangota, with Tshabangu Nqobane Sithole and Chamisa represented by Obi Shava.
In his founding affidavit that accompanied CCC’s application, Chabangu said that following Chamisa’s resignation, there was an expectation that there would be a “smooth handover of the takeover” and that this process had been implemented.
However, Chabangu said a group of “unidentified persons” ranging from 25 to 30 people, male and female, “besieged the CCC offices in Bulawayo claiming to have been sent by (Chamisa) and promoting her interests, and forcefully took over the occupation, control and possession of the CCC offices.
Chabangu claimed that the “unknown persons” explained that Chamisa had sent them and placed his picture on top of the gate.
“Further renovations and structural improvements were made to the gate on the doors, roof floors and windows. All of this was done forcefully and without the consent of the CCC, which was under peaceful occupation and without disturbance and control of its premises,” Chabangu’s affidavit said.
On the other hand, Chamisa, in his opposition affidavit, asserted that he is not currently part of any political organisation, claiming that his image and name have been misappropriated by several people who have no connection with him.
“Indeed, the irony of the application is that since my resignation as leader of the Citizens Alliance for Change, the applicant and the filer of the institutional affidavit have continued to use my face on their preferred logo. I would like to reiterate that I have no special association,” the former CCC leader said. Currently of any colour, any political organization or any movement.”
Chamisa stated in his affidavit that he had “absolutely nothing” to do with the office seizure.
“I deny all the allegations of fact and conclusions of law contained in this application in their entirety. I have not robbed anyone of any building or office anywhere in Zimbabwe, and I certainly did not do so in Bulawayo. I have a group of offices located in Harare,” the former CCC leader said. : “I currently do not belong to any movement, group, or political party.”
“I did not direct, request or encourage anyone to take over the premises referred to by the applicant in the corporate affidavit attributed to me. I have resigned from my position as Commander of the applicant and, since that resignation, I have not physically been to Bulawayo. I have no relationship whatsoever with the applicant the demand.
Chamisa said if Chabangu, as the plaintiff, knew the people who repainted the CCC party headquarters, he should prosecute them.
“If there is anyone in the occupation, the applicant of the institutional affidavit knows who it is, and that it is not me. The applicant should prosecute these people, if they exist, instead of harassing me.” SITE
