SELF-IMPOSED Citizens’ Coalition for Change secretary-general Sengezo Tshaban[1]gu’s political fate has effectively reached a dead end after a new steering committee led by former Entumbane-Njube MP Dingilizwe Tshuma suspended the controversial politician on various charges.
BERNARD MPOFU
A self-appointed interim steering committee chaired by Tshuma, which appointed Tshabangu, sealed the fate of a creepy political impostor whose agenda was widely seen as disrupting the opposition to benefit Zanu PF for self-interest.
A few weeks after the 23 August general elections, Tshabangu engineered a wave of CCC recalls which saw the main opposition’s representation in Parliament and local authorities being weekend. In a statement published recently, the committee says its original agenda was not to destroy the CCC, but deal with imposition of candidates during last year’s general elections.
He now faces a disciplinary hearing which may effectively dent his future political ambitions.
“The CCC interim standing committee sat on February 21 amid great concern about the appointed CCC interim secretary-general Tshabangu for not attending our meetings on several occasions (despite) invitations (being sent) to him and further went on to submit a Bulawayo Senate and proportional representation replacement list to Zimbabwe Electoral Commission that was not agreed upon by the standing committee in our last meeting,” Mhlanga, the committee’s deputy chairperson, said in a statement.
However, Tshabangu took advantage and used the committee’s plan to make himself relevant and for self-aggrandisement, his al[1]lies say.
Tshabangu and his allies have now land[1]ed themselves proportional representation seats in Parliament in what critics described as joining the gravy train after facilitating Zanu PF’s dominance in local politics.
Tshabangu, who failed to articulate his political agenda coherently and convincing[1]ly and has struggled to win public support, was appointed by the interim committee to spearhead recalls of MPs, senators, councillors and mayors arbitrarily in a bitter reaction against internal problems, including imposition of candidates and exclusion.
His agenda, critics argue, was supported by the executive, Parliament and the judiciary, assisted by state security agents and Zanu PF.
Legal experts say judges threw caution to the wind to support Tshabangu through partisan judgments which further damaged their already compromised credibility and integrity.
The recalls committee which says it is running the CCC includes Tshuma, former legislator for Entumbane-Njube constituency in Bulawayo as chair; Mhlanga (ex-Pumula MP, Bualwayo deputy mayor and deputy chair deputy); Tshabangu (secretary-gen[1]eral); Khaliphani Phugeni (information); Sikhululekile Moyo (interim chairperson for women); Nomvula Mguni (ex-proportional representation MP); Mbuso Siso (treasurer); and Benoni Ncube (youth). Mhlanga said Tshabangu is now suspended and Ncube is not the CCC leader, but Tshuma is.
Apart from veteran political player Welshman Ncube and Tshuma, others who claim to be leaders or are said to be the leaders after Nelson Chamisa left include Jameson Timba and Promise Mkhwananzi. The committee says Ncube’s claim to be the new interim leader is unfounded and rejected. Since Chamisa’s departure, the party has descended into a chaotic spiral, with several activists claiming to be its leaders.
The committee says Ncube and his old 2019 MDC-Alliance executive, which includes Tendai Biti, Lynette Karenyi-Kore and Jacob Mafume, have positioned themselves as the new CCC leaders only to feast on the US$2 million due to the party from state funding in terms of the Political Parties (Finance) Act.
