In the escalating leadership battle within the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC), Sengezo Tshabangu, who has positioned himself as the Interim Secretary General of the party, has denied claims that Professor Welshman Ncube is the acting president of the CCC.
Tshabangu is embroiled in a legal dispute with a faction loyal to Nelson Chamisa over who rightfully leads and manages the party.
The conflict intensified when the Chamisa-aligned faction, which insists that Chamisa resigned in January, filed an urgent court application to prevent the disbursement of ZWL$22,116,500 under the Political Parties (Finance) Act. Tshabangu claims the funds should be managed under his leadership.
This faction, backed by Youngerson Matete, filed the application against the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Justice to block any potential payments to Tshabangu or other parties they argue are unauthorised to represent the CCC.
The faction asserts that Tshabangu’s actions, including recalling elected members of Parliament, are illegitimate and unauthorised.
Amid the legal battle, Prof Ncube filed an application to join the proceedings, arguing that as the acting president of the CCC, he has a substantial interest in the case. Tshabangu strongly opposes this claim.
In his founding affidavit, Prof Ncube stated that he is the acting president of the “real and lawful CCC.”
“This is an application to join the proceedings under case number HCH4235/24, filed by the CCC and Youngerson Matate on 27 September 2024,” Prof Ncube said, adding that he learned about the case through social media and news articles.
Ncube argued that his involvement in the case would help prevent unnecessary litigation and expedite the resolution of disputes by ensuring that all parties with legal interests are represented.
However, in his notice of opposition, Tshabangu challenged Ncube’s claims, stating that he lacks the authority to act on behalf of the party. Tshabangu argued that according to the party’s constitution, an acting president can only be appointed through an extraordinary congress, which Ncube has not convened.
“He claims to have become acting president following the resignation of Nelson Chamisa, but he does not allege that there was an extraordinary congress as required by the party’s constitution,” Tshabangu stated.
Tshabangu further asserted that Prof Ncube’s term of office expired in May 2024, making his claim to the presidency invalid.
“The officials elected at the Gweru 2019 congress held office for five years, which expired on 27 May 2024,” Tshabangu said. “Therefore, Prof Ncube’s term of office ended, and he is not the acting president of the CCC.”
Tshabangu also noted that Prof Ncube’s failure to convene a congress, as required by the party’s constitution, renders his claim to leadership legally untenable.
Tshabangu detailed several meetings held with Ncube and other party leaders to discuss restoring the party’s legality and constitutionality. These meetings, however, failed to produce actionable results, with Ncube ultimately rejecting a proposed way forward.
A mediator was later brought in to help resolve the dispute, but despite extensive discussions, Prof Ncube has not responded to a draft proposal or attended a follow-up meeting, leaving the leadership battle unresolved.
Tshabangu also accused Prof Ncube of failing to participate in key court cases concerning the party, alleging that Ncube’s interest in the current case is primarily tied to the distribution of party funds.
“If he truly has a direct and substantial interest in the party, why has he not participated in any of the over 60 court cases involving recalls and by-elections?” Tshabangu questioned. “His sudden interest coincides with the issue of funds.”
