2024: Year opposition got locked in a spiral of self-destruction

Richard Muponde
Zimpapers Politics Hub

HE year 2024 started on a slippery slope for the opposition CCC as members literally competed to shred what remained of a morsel of a party that had contested the 2023 harmonised elections.

Events took a downward spiral after the then CCC leader, Nelson Chamisa lost the presidential contest to President Mnangagwa.

Despite fervent shrieks of complaints about the elections, the opposition failed to back up any of its allegations and none of its members had the guts to challenge the outcome in courts of laws.

It was such a dismal performance that to keep their supporters busy and agitated, opposition leaders started peddling a false narrative of an election re-run to be conducted by SADC.

They kept on repeating the same narrative even though it was clear that SADC has no jurisdiction or authority to cause or conduct elections in individual sovereign nations.

It soon became clear to opposition supporters that they were being sold a ruse and clamours for leadership change started being heard in the top leadership of the party.

Many opposition supporters and leaders questioned Chamisa’s campaign tactics and strategies which bordered on self-centredness and archaic selection methods of “bereka mwana” during the party’s primary elections to elect parliamentary representatives.

Realising that the centre was no longer holding, Chamisa resigned in a huff from a party he played an instrumental role in its formation.

He cited infiltration and betrayal from fellow party leaders as the main reason. This caught opposition supporters and leaders by surprise as the resignation was issued on social media and not through formal engagement.

In his resignation on January 24, Chamisa said it was prompted by the infiltration of the party.

“Fellow citizens, this is to officially, and under my hand, inform you, that, with immediate effect, I no longer have anything to do with CCC.

“My focus remains fully on Zimbabwe, asserting your victory, honouring the citizens’ mandate and God’s calling to provide leadership,” Mr Chamisa said.

Chamisa’s impromptu resignation ushered in a blitz of confusion within the CCC with some siding with him, while others clearly saying his resignation was good riddance as he had helped in destroying the party by not adhering to any constitution or recognising existing structures that had been set up in the run-up to the formation of the opposition party.

With the party being rudderless, one Sengezo Tshabangu emerged as the most courageous one among the leadership as he had already officially written to Parliament informing them that he was the legitimate interim secretary-general of the opposition party.

He continued on a warpath of recalling some legislators that he felt still had some allegiance to Chamisa.

CCC statement of

Chamisa resignation

In its response to the resignation of Chamisa and the assumption of leadership by Tshabangu, some senior leaders comprising of Chalton Hwende, Prof Welshman Ncube, Lynette Karenyi-Kore, Tendai Biti and others responded by saying that “power and authority will collectively reside in the national leadership elected at the Gweru Congress in May 2019”.

The opposition leaders further said they were reaffirming the authority of their national, provincial, district, ward and branch executive committees elected leading to the May 2019 Gweru Congress. The CCC leaders also resolved to lead a process to engage President Chamisa in a deliberate and determined manner in an effort to resolve some issues raised by Nelson Chamisa in his statement.

They further resolved that another leadership meeting will be convened as a matter of urgency and further announcements will be made after that meeting.

Tshabangu and eight others appointed to Parliament

After the resignation of Mr Chamisa, the CCC interim secretary-general, Mr Tshabangu, and eight others in February were officially appointed into Parliament.

The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) published General Notice 293 of 2024 in the Government Gazette notifying the public of the latest development, in line with section 39(7)(a) of the Electoral Act (Chapter 2:13).

Appointed to Senate included, Messrs Lilian Mlilo, Phulu Kucaca Ivumile, Linda Sibanda, Collet Ndlovu, all from Bulawayo province; Maxwell Mdhluri from Manicaland; Sam Chapfudza from Masvingo; Teresa Kabondo and Grace Mumpande from Matabeleland North province.

They were sworn in to fill vacancies in the Senate by virtue of section 120(1)(a) of the Constitution following the recall of incumbent members.

Also gazetted were women’s quota members who were nominated by the CCC party to fill the vacancies in the National Assembly by virtue of section 124(1)(b) and (c) of the Constitution that occurred following the recall of incumbent members, who have been appointed to the National Assembly.

They comprised of Messrs Nomvula Mguni, Otilia Sibanda, Lungile Ncube and Sikhuphukile Dube from Bulawayo; and Sibongile Maphosa from Matabeleland South.

Four CCC factions emerged

In March four factions of CCC locked themselves in an intense fight for the party’s share of funds disbursed by the Government under the Political Parties (Finance) Act.

Messrs Tshabangu, Jameson Timba and Promise Mkwananzi, as well as Prof Ncube, separately wrote to Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ziyambi asking for the funds to be deposited into their respective bank accounts.

They all claimed to be legitimate leaders of the opposition political party.

Only the ruling party, ZANU PF, and CCC qualify to receive a share of the funding in terms of the Political Parties (Finance) Act by virtue of the numbers of those elected into Parliament.

Parties that receive at least five percent of the total votes cast in the general election qualify for State funding.

Each party’s share is proportional to the number of National Assembly seats they secured in the previous election. During the 2023 harmonised elections, ZANU PF won 136 National Assembly seats, while the CCC only managed 73.

Tshabangu appointed leader of the opposition in Parliament

In May, the Parliament’s Committee on Standing Rules and Orders approved the appointment by the opposition CCC of its interim secretary general and Matabeleland North province Senator, Sengezo Tshabangu, as the Leader of the Opposition in Parliament in charge of both the National Assembly and Senate.

The announcement was made despite spirited attempts by Kuwadzana East MP, Mr Charlton Hwende, to protest the appointment of Mr Tshabangu, claiming that the CCC had not met to make those changes.

Tshabangu wins party funds

In September, pay day for CCC arrived with Mr Tshabangu and his cabal which usurped control of the party from Mr Chamisa automatically being legitimate receivers of the money. The Government gazetted and proportionally disbursed ZiG47 883 500 (US$3 447 088,04 at the interbank or official rate) to Zanu PF and ZiG22 116 500 (US$1 592 145,99) to CCC.

This was after Treasury disbursed ZiG70 million (US$5 039 234,03) to Zanu PF and his CCC faction under the Political Parties (Finance) Act.

Tshabangu and Professor Ncube fight

However, as the year draws to an end, Mr Tshabangu and his faction leader, Prof Ncube are now fighting in the High Court after the former last week fired CCC former vice president and Chikanga legislator Karenyi-Kore from being the leader of opposition in Parliament and also removed Edwin Mushoriwa from the post of Chief Whip. Mr Tshabangu also replaced various Parliamentary Portfolio Committee chairpersons with new ones. This prompted Prof Ncube to drag Mr Tshabangu to court in an attempt to stop him from firing party leaders from parliamentary posts.

It’s a never ending circus in which the opposition has exposed itself as being more motivated by personal interests than serving the interests of those that elected them.