In a recent development within Zimbabwe’s opposition party, Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC), the national deputy spokesperson, Gift Ostallos Siziba, has raised concerns about ideological weaknesses within the party ranks. Addressing a gathering at a function organized for the handover of gifts to political victims and the elderly, Siziba criticized certain members for succumbing to the tactics of the ruling party, Zanu PF, and losing focus on the party’s central objectives.
Siziba, speaking on behalf of the party leader Nelson Chamisa, emphasized the inevitability of betrayal in any struggle, stating, “There is no struggle without pain, but more importantly there is no struggle without betrayal.” He expressed concern over the regime’s efforts to undermine the party by enticing its members away from their cause. Siziba maintained that despite these challenges, those committed to the party’s central mission would stay focused.
The CCC has reportedly faced internal divisions, with rumors of Harare councillors defying Chamisa’s leadership. This discord was highlighted by the recent re-election of Jacob Mafume as the Mayor of Harare, which went against the party’s directives. Siziba, while not naming individuals, implied that certain members were being lured away by short-term gains offered by the ruling party.
Siziba also questioned the moral integrity of some elected officials within the party, suggesting that they were easily swayed by material incentives and had lost sight of the party’s long-term goals. He asserted that CCC’s ultimate aim is not just to gain parliamentary or council seats but to achieve significant change in Zimbabwe by targeting the highest office in the land.
Furthermore, the CCC has been dealing with internal strife due to a series of recalls initiated by Sengezo Tshabangu, the self-proclaimed ‘interim’ Secretary General of the party. Tshabangu, who has been labeled an impostor by the CCC president, has threatened action against legislators who fail to align with the party’s directives and has been involved in the recall of several MPs and Senators from parliament.
In a recent development, Tshabangu secured a High Court ruling preventing recalled CCC MPs from participating in the upcoming December 9 by-elections, a move seen as exacerbating the tensions within the opposition party.
This internal turmoil within the CCC highlights the challenges faced by opposition parties in Zimbabwe, where political dynamics are often influenced by both ideological differences and struggles for power.
