The Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) is facing internal divisions following the resignation of party leader Nelson Chamisa. Two rival factions have announced separate plans for the party’s future. One faction, aligned with Chamisa, resolved to engage with him and form an interim committee to lead the party, the Standard reported. They expressed their determination to defend the party and the people’s struggle against ZANU-PF and its allies.
Speaking at a press conference, the party’s national spokesperson, Promise Mkwananzi also known as Promise Pfunye in some circles, said the Citizens National Assembly (CNA) resolved never to surrender the party to ZANU PF proxies. He said:
In that regard, the CNA resolved never to surrender the struggle to ZANU PF and its cronies and will do everything possible to defend the people’s struggle and citizens’ interests, including court cases, illegal recalls and impostors, political arrests, the position of our deployees in councils and Parliament, shrinking democratic space, economic challenges, illegitimacy and many others.
During this transitional period, the CNA resolves to engage with Chamisa and the masses of our people across the country, advising the direction and way forward that the country and the party must take.
Mkwananzi said they had appointed Senator Jameson Timba, as the chairperson of an administrative committee that includes Lesley Mukurazhizha, Ralf Magunje, Gideon Shoko, David Chimini, Prince Dubeko-Sibanda, Morgan Ncube, one Gondongwe, Susan Matsunga, Josiah Makombe and Maggie Chakabuda. He said the committee remains solidly behind Nelson Chamisa who resigned from the party on 24 January 2024 citing infiltration and hijacking of the party by ZANU PF and its allies within CCC.
Another Faction
The other faction, led by disputed interim secretary-general Sengezo Tshabangu, appointed an interim steering committee which will organise a congress to elect new party leadership ‘soon.’
The committee includes Dingilizwe Tshuma, former legislator for Entumbane-Njube constituency in Bulawayo as chair; Albert Mhlanga (former Pumula MP and deputy); Sengezo 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).
The committee dismissed a proposal by the MDC Alliance National Standing Committee, which met on 28 January 2024 and discussed CCC affairs, to revert to the party’s 2019 structures. Mbuso Siso said the MDC Alliance National Standing Committee is illegitimate due to a Supreme Court ruling in 2020 that declared Nelson Chamisa as not the legitimate leader of the MDC-T. Siso asserted that the structures that emerged from the MDC Alliance Congress of 2019 were nullified by the Supreme Court decision and cannot be imposed on CCC. He cautioned against dragging the party back into past conflicts and inviting Douglas Mwonzora, the leader of the MDC-T, back into the fold.
Amidst these divisions, some Members of Parliament have resigned expressing concerns about the party being controlled by the ruling party. They are pledging their loyalty to Chamisa who is allegedly planning to launch a new political movement.