Published: 3 hours ago

A major fallout has erupted within the Bulawayo provincial executive of the Sengezo Tshabangu-aligned faction of the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) after provincial chairperson Thamsanqa Ncube was pushed out for supporting a court challenge to halt a Zanu-PF bid to extend President Emmerson Mnangagwa's term of office.

Ncube is accused of appending his signature to a Constitutional Court application filed by Bulawayo pressure group Ibhetshu LikaZulu, which seeks an order compelling Zanu-PF to drop its controversial resolution to extend Mnangagwa's tenure from 2028 to 2030. Analysts say the push amounts to an attempt to retro-fit legal cover for what critics describe as the "2030 agenda".

Ncube, who also serves as chairperson of Ibhetshu LikaZulu, reportedly angered fellow CCC provincial leaders who argue he acted without party approval.

"The feeling of the party is that Ncube was supposed to report back to the party as its chairperson about the ConCourt and get proper direction and guidance," a senior party insider told The Standard. "He has brought the structures into disrepute, and the only option was to excuse him so that he focuses on his pressure group without dragging the party's name."

He was subsequently replaced by his deputy, former Entumbane legislator Dingilizwe Tshuma — who has since defected to Zanu-PF together with another former opposition MP, Albert Mhlanga, further plunging the Tshabangu camp into turmoil.

When contacted for comment, CCC spokesperson and councillor Ntando Ndlovu said he was unaware that Ncube had been removed because of the court application. Ncube could not be reached.

Speaking on his defection, Tshuma said he no longer saw a viable future in the Tshabangu-led faction.

"Politics is dynamic and very fluid, and there are guiding principles that inform our operations," he said. "I had to introspect and reflect on the state of the opposition. I realised there is nothing to write home about. I saw a bleaker future in terms of communication, engagement and sharing ideas — there is inactivity."

Zanu-PF is reportedly seeking to avoid a referendum on extending Mnangagwa's term and instead use its parliamentary majority to push constitutional amendments aligned to the 2030 resolution.

As resistance grows, activists and commentators warn of a widening crackdown on critics. Yesterday, police were stationed outside the home of Constitutional Defence Forum (CDF) member and former Harare mayor Herbert Gomba. Earlier, law enforcement agents surrounded the offices of lawyer and former finance minister Tendai Biti.

Tensions escalated further this week after the Sapes Trust offices were bombed just hours before opposition figures were due to hold a press briefing to respond to the 2030 extension plot.

The developments highlight deepening fractures within both the opposition and the broader political landscape as the battle over Mnangagwa's possible extended rule intensifies.
- The Standard

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