Tshabangu gets bitter pill to swallow
POLITICAL WRITER
Sengezo Tshabangu, the self-appointed Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) secretary-general, is clutching at straws as he fights for political survival after he was chucked out of the opposition political party for misconduct last week.
Tshabangu’s expulsion came after he had been hauled to a disciplinary hearing for making changes to CCC parliamentary portfolio holders without the authority of the president or any organ of the party.
The lawmaker is challenging the expulsion saying he has never been a member of CCC formation led by Welshman Ncube. This is notwithstanding that he attended the party’s disciplinary hearing.
Until the expulsion, Tshabangu appeared untouchable as enjoyed the carte blanche to run the affairs of the CCC after the August 2023 elections.
He caused the recall of dozens of lawmakers but his nominees did not succeed in by-elections in some constituencies where elections became necessary as a result of his shenanigans, which critics said was akin to donating seats to the ruling Zanu PF party.
Zanu PF seized the opportunity and secured a two-thirds majority in the National Assembly.
The governing party had been craving for total control of the legislature to have the latitude to amend the Constitution.
Tshabangu’s recalls forced CCC founder Nelson Chamisa to quit the opposition party arguing that it had been infiltrated.
An opposition political party offers an alternative to the governing party by providing policy options for public consideration.
Tshabangu is accused of turning CCC into Zanu PF lite thereby losing its key role of making the government accountable. The party is fractured as some lawmakers pay allegiance to interim president Ncube.
The twist of fate in Tshabangu’s fortunes comes a month after he rallied opposition party lawmakers to a tour of President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s farm in Kwekwe, the opposition politician said was the “most significant event in the current context of solution-finding, nation-building and consensus”.
At the farm, Zanu PF rolled out a red carpet for Tshabangu who reciprocated by endorsing the controversial ED2030 plan.
Overwhelmed by the rosy welcome, Tshabangu gushed: “If our presence here improves your stay in power and that makes the people of Zimbabwe happy, then let it be.”
For neutrals, that declaration gave away Tshabangu’s handlers, although he was forced to retract his statements days later.
Some of us saw the misfortune that has befallen the politician coming after Zanu PF got a two-thirds majority.
Zanu PF has a history of pretending to support “useful” opposition leaders only to dump them once it has achieved its goals.
It appears Tshabangu is no longer useful in the scheme of things.
He made his bed and must lie on it.