Nkosentsha Khumalo
OPINION
Burdened by the weight of a Chamisa-less future and the responsibility of twenty-two million dollars, the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) faces an uncertain road ahead.
With the charismatic Nelson Chamisa, former leader of the party no longer at the helm, questions now linger of how the CCC will navigate the political landscape and maintain its appeal to the masses.
Or the financial boost is simple for the gravy train?
The party which is now faced with an identity crisis and the pressure to reinvent itself, has received a financial boost from the government.
Under the Political Parties Finance Act, ZANU PF and the CCC will share ZWG 70 million in government funding.
ZANU PF, as the ruling party, will receive ZWG 47.9 million, while the opposition CCC will receive ZWG 22.1 million.
The distribution of funds is based on each party’s performance in the most recent election, with the allocation proportional to the percentage of votes received by each party.
This funding is intended to support the operations and development of political parties in Zimbabwe.
To qualify for the financial support provided by the Political Parties Finance Act, parties must secure at least 5% of the total votes cast in the most recent election.
Sengezo Tshabangu, the CCC’s self-declared interim secretary-general, is the likely recipient of the party’s portion of the funds. As the leader of the opposition in Parliament and the only opposition politician whose authority is recognized by the state, Tshabangu is poised to take control of the CCC’s share of the money.
The disbursement of financial support to the CCC may provide some temporary relief, but it is unlikely to reverse the party’s fortunes on its own.
With the ‘money in the pocket’, the financial boost could also serve as a double-edged sword for the CCC. While the funds could support the party’s initiatives, they may also attract those motivated by personal gain, further diluting the party’s vision and principles.
The presence of alleged ‘ZANU-PF puppets’ within the CCC’s ranks further complicates matters, as it raises concerns about the sincerity of their opposition to the ruling party.
Unless these internal conflicts are addressed and a clear leadership emerges, the CCC’s ability to mount a credible challenge in any upcoming elections may be hindered.
Though the CCC party might have received a financial boost, the party is in its most weakened state without the leadership of Nelson Chamisa.
Chamisa, who led the MDC Alliance into a formidable political force in the 2018 elections, was able to galvanize support from across the country, particularly among young voters.
His magnetic charisma and bold vision for Zimbabwe resonated with many who had grown disillusioned with the ruling ZANU-PF party.
This was evidenced in the election results, with ZANU-PF receiving 50,8% of the votes cast, while MDC Alliance secured a significant 44,3% despite its relative inexperience.
Internal strife came and poured oil into water.
The MDC-Alliance was bedeviled by in-house fighting and somehow Chamisa took a bow and left the party to Douglas Mwonzora who was assisted by the Courts to wrestle-win.
In January 2022 Citizens Coalition for Change party was announced led by Nelson Chamisa.
In its infancy, the new party went on to trounce Zanu-PF in the by-elections slated for February of the same year.
However, the political landscape shifted dramatically in the 2023 elections.
Despite widespread anticipation of a triumph for the CCC under Chamisa’s leadership, the party was dealt a devastating blow when they failed to gain the majority vote, even with Chamisa’s persistent efforts to inspire his supporters. ZANU-PF ultimately remained in power, with their dominance seemingly unaffected by the CCC’s challenge.
The controversial results of the 2023 elections have been the subject of intense debate and scrutiny.
While ZANU-PF asserted their victory as legitimate, many observers, including the Southern African Development Community (SADC) election monitoring team, declared that the elections had not been entirely free and fair.
The alleged rigging of the elections cast a shadow over the legitimacy of President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s rule, with opposition parties and some observers asserting that the ZANU-PF had manipulated the electoral process to ensure their continued hold on to power.
After the 2023 General Elections, Chamisa resigned from the CCC party, however his resignation was not an impulsive move.
Instead, it was a result of mounting concerns within the CCC about the presence of ‘sellouts’, individuals perceived as traitors or infiltrators.
The legacy of distrust from the MDC days still lingered, and members worried that the same treachery could be at play in the CCC.
Some party members from the MDC era were accused of being ‘foot soldiers’ planted to disrupt and destabilize the party from within.
Others, like Welshman Ncube, were alleged to have been colluding with ZANU-PF, fueled by their own ambitions to secure the seat of the party presidency.
Among the accused ‘foot soldiers’ was Sengezo Tshabangu, whose apparent mission was to sow discord and sabotage the CCC’s efforts.
Many within the party believed him to be a puppet of ZANU-PF, a claim that was bolstered by his alleged pattern of behavior during his whirlwind of recalls, which appeared to align with the ruling party’s agenda.
Tshabangu’s presence within the CCC was seen as a constant source of unease.
As time progressed, Tshabangu’s motives appeared to evolve beyond mere disruption.
After proving his mettle in the ‘destabilization’ game, he was instructed in what many would prefer referring to as ‘confidential ploy’ to take the next step and vie for a Senate seat as the CCC’s representative.
This move was envisaged would give him a position of influence within the party while providing him with the financial resources needed to carry out his hidden agenda.
Chamisa, however, was no stranger to the intricacies of political maneuvering. To counter the potential threat posed by Tshabangu and other ‘foot soldiers’, he opted for a bold strategy of resigning from the CCC, essentially forcing a purge of disloyal members.
Fadzai Mahere, a staunch ally of Chamisa, followed suit, further indicating the solidarity within the party. However, not everyone was willing to relinquish their position in the CCC.
Despite Chamisa’s call for unity, some members of the CCC, like Bulawayo Mayor Senator David Coltart, chose to soldier on.
While they publicly pledged their allegiance to the party, there were those within the CCC who were suspicious of their motivations.
Even now, some speculators would want to believe that the CCC party has become a captured toothless party without it’s former loyal members.
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