BRENNA MATENDERE
INFORMATION obtained by The NewsHawks this week shows that the capture of the Citizens’ Coalition for Change using self-imposed secretary-general Sengezo Tshabangu as an arrowhead was a well-organised intelligence operation run by the Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) deputy director-general retired brigadier-general Walter Tapfumaneyi with President Emmerson Mnangagwa well in the loop of the intelligence scheme.
Tapfumaneyi headed the Forever Associates Zimbabwe (Faz) outfit to secure a controversial election victory for Zanu PF using coercion and manipulation.
Intelligence sources say after the elections, Tapfumaneyi was tasked to handle Tshabangu as he sought to seize CCC from Nelson Chamisa and his allies.
Tshabangu liaised with Tapfumaneyi on a number of issues, strategy and resources on how they would weave through Parliament and the judiciary to execute the operation.
The main aim of the operation was to disrupt the CCC, undermine Nelson Chamisa and cause by-elections to get Zanu PF a two-thirds majority in Parliament.
Tshabangu got logistical and financial support from the CIO through Faz and at least US$1 million was put into the operation for his expenses and luxury stay in Harare each time he travelled from his home town, Bulawayo.
He was also supported by Speaker of Parliament Jacob Mudenda to effect recalls. Mudenda listened to Tshabangu only and not even Chamisa.
When Tshabangu fell out with his steering committee which organised recalls, members of that committee tried in vain to engage Mudenda to remove him (Tshabangu) from Parliament.
The committee had Dingilizwe Tshuma, former legislator for Entumbane-Njube constituency in Bulawayo as chair; Albert Mhlanga (former Pumula MP and deputy); Tshabangu (secretary-general); Khaliphani Phugeni (information); Sikhululekile Moyo (interim chairperson for women); Nomvula Mguni (ex-proportional representation MP), Mbuso Siso (treasurer) and Benoni Ncube (youth).
Mudenda however told the committee he would not meddle in the internal politics of the CCC, yet from the beginning he was already doing so by refusing to stop the recalls when Chamisa wrote to him saying they were illegal.
On some date the committee phoned Mudenda to effect recalls of Tshabangu and MPs from Matabeleland that he had sent to Parliament, but this was in vain.
They then wrote a formal letter to Mudenda obtained by The NewsHawks dated 25 March pushing for that agenda of removing Tshabangu and his MPs from Parliament, citing leadership changes in their committee and directing that Tshuma as interim chairperson was supposed to be the contact person between the august House and the CCC henceforth.
Part of the letter reads: “Prior party communications with the honourable house were done through the interim secretary general Senator Sengezo Tshabangu however since he is under suspension pending a hearing, communications and correspondences shall be done by the interim standing committee through the Interim National Chairperson Honorable Dengilizwe Tshuma…
“The supreme law of the land gives a clear formula for the condition of expiry of a Member of Parliament seat and part of this clause gives the president of Senate not for the honourable houses to dictate the internal tempo and decision of political parties, we also direct your attention to the Prince Dubeko Sibanda and others vs Sengezo Tshabangu Case No.HCH7543/23 where the High Court upheld the recalls that the House of Assembly and senate had actioned under the spirit and formula of 129 (k). In light of the law and precedence, the honourable houses of Assembly and senate are compelled to effect the recalls as per the direction of the letter dated 5th of March 2024.”
However, Mudenda, again, supported Tshabangu, making it clear to the committee he was part of a CIO operation. From there Tshabangu started attending high-profile state functions presided over by Mnangagwa and praising the system.
Even the warm welcome he received from Senate president Mable Chinomona on his inaugural attendance was telling of his involvement in the hidden CIO operation.
An intelligence source told The NewsHawks: “Tapfumaneyi and Faz were running an operation to decimate CCC and handle Tshabangu. At one point there were misunderstandings and the CIO cut off Tshabangu. He then met several Zanu PF people and CIO functionaries pleading with them to help him meet Mnangagwa to deal with the matter. He however managed to fix the misunderstanding with CIO before meeting Mnangagwa and he continued with his hatchet job of decimating the opposition.
“For Tshabangu, doing so was revenge for being sidelined by Chamisa in CCC. In the process, he did not only manage to disrupt CCC but he got what he did not expect which was pushing Chamisa out of CCC altogether. He also got money, a car and a position in Senate from that CIO operation. There were opportunistic people he worked with who also benefitted from the CIO project.”
