THE battle to control the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) continued yesterday with rival factions announcing separate plans on the way forward following the resignation of party leader Nelson Chamisa last week.
A faction linked to Chamisa resolved during their citizens national assembly (CNA) to engage Chamisa while also announcing a committee to lead the party in the interim.
A rival faction aligned to self-imposed interim secretary-general, Sengezo Tshabangu, resolved to revert to the 2019 structures during an extraordinary standing committee meeting chaired by Welshman Ncube.
Chamisa aligned CCC spokesperson, Promise Mkwananzi, said they would never surrender the party to Tshabangu.
“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,” Mkwananzi said.
“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 Mkurazhizha, Ralf Magunje, Gideon Shoko, David Chimini, Prince Dubeko-Sibanda, Morgan Ncube, one Gondongwe, Susan Matsunga, Josiah Makombe and Maggie Chakabuda.
Tshabangu’s faction accepted Chamisa’ resignation and agreed to revert to the 2019 structure of the MDC Alliance.
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“It is important that the party continues to reaffirm resolutions already adopted in general, and specifically that the party should return to legitimate party structures as at the Gweru congress of 2019 and which were in place up to the 24th January 2022 when the national standing committees announced the rebranding of the party to CCC from branch to national council are recognised,” the faction said in a statement.
“These structures should carry out their respective responsibilities.”
Meanwhile, Mutare Central Member of Parliament (MP), Brian James, became the second party legislator to quit the party after Fadzayi Mahere.
Mahere on Monday resigned from Parliament where she was the Mt Pleasant MP.
In his statement, James said the CCC had been hijacked.
“It, therefore, begs the question; how effective would the party be in securing electoral reforms and entrenching a democratic political system when controlled by the ruling party?” he said.
James said he would also resign from Parliament after pledging his loyalty to Chamisa.
“I, however, find it difficult, even impossible to be part of this lie and as a result intend to formally document my resignation from the Parliament of Zimbabwe.”
