Chamisa created Tshabangu

Ivan Zhakata Herald Correspondent

CCC leader Mr Nelson Chamisa co-opted Mr Sengezo Tshabangu into the party’s national executive committee after the formation of MDC Alliance in 2018, the name which he lost in the courts to Mr Douglas Mwonzora before forming the party that is currently entangled in serious infighting.

In an interview, Mr Tshabangu’s spokesperson Mr Khaliphani Phugeni said his boss was not a new member of the opposition formation.

Mr Phugeni said Mr Tshabangu came from the trade union movement and was one of the oldest members of the opposition.

“During the time of the late former Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, he was a chairperson of MDC Matabeleland North Province and he has since then been rising through the ranks.

“After the split in 2018, he went with MDC Alliance and he was co-opted by Mr Chamisa to be in the national executive at the time. When it was disbanded last year, he became one of the key actors in the CCC”.

Asked how Mr Tshabangu became the interim secretary-general, Mr Phugeni said the same way Mr Chamisa became the interim president.

“How he became the interim secretary general for CCC is the same way the interim president, the leader of the CCC, Mr Chamisa, assumed that position. Council has since advised him that since this matter is now being litigated in court, it is not wise to litigate it through the media. Issues will be ventilated in court, suffice to say he feels very safe and that he is standing on a firm legal footing on this position, which he is.”

Mr Phugeni said Mr Tshabangu reached out to Mr Chamisa, but they hold different views because there has been an abuse of the office of president and access and proximity to that office.

“He (Mr Chamisa) has imposed leaders and imposed certain public deployees into positions ahead of the people who are more deserving so their differences led us to where we are now,” he said.

“In the opposition movement, if you do not agree with what they say they will call you a Zanu PF person and so there is nothing new there. Just to underscore that point, Honourable Tendai Biti and Professor Welshman Ncube have in the past been called Zanu-PF people and our late icon Dr Tsvangirai, before he passed away, he met up with them (Mr Biti and Prof Ncube), he apologised profusely. He also took ownership of the mistake.”

Mr Phugeni said there have been threats to Mr Tshabangu’s life and that of his family which have been deemed credible by security people.

“A case has been opened with the police and we will see how it plays itself out. However, this speaks to the type of politics that when you are talking about change, you are talking about change of what, because what we are seeing is a clear case of if I differ with you politically, I am going to resort to extra judicial measures. I am going to insult you, lie about you, demean you and if all of that does not work I am going to threaten your life, not only your life but that of your extended family members. That is what we are dealing with.

“On prospects of engaging Mr Chamisa, as far as I know there was a process where the interim SG said the leader of the party sent emissaries which were led by Jameson Timba. If there has been any change there, I have not canvassed this view with him,” Mr Phugeni said.

Mr Tshabangu stirred the hornet’s nest in the opposition when he recalled 15 CCC legislators from Parliament last week.