Self-proclaimed interim secretary general of the Citizens Coalition for Change Sengezo Tshabangu may have inadvertently given a possible reason why opposition leader Job Sikhala continues to be detained, 527 days since his arrest. He may have the answer to the present chaos in the CCC.
Sikhala chaired the meeting at which it was decided to form CCC because the chairperson of the Movement for Democratic Change Alliance Thabitha Khumalo was indisposed. Sikhala therefore knows who attended the meeting and has the minutes of what was discussed.
Tshabangu says in court papers where he is being sued by the CCC for claiming to be the party’s interim secretary general that two dates, 21 and 22 January 2022 are critical to understand the formation of CCC.
He says the National Executive Council of the MDC-A led by Nelson Chamisa met on 21 January to decide whether to participate in the 26 March by-elections and if so under what name.
The by-elections were caused by the recall of MDC-A legislators by Douglas Mwonzora who had become leader of the MDC-T following a court ruling in March 2020.
“After an intense, open-minded and robust debate with input from a pool of high level experts who included the late Dr Alex Magaisa and Dr Philani Zamchiya; NEC resolved to participate in the by-elections of 26 March 2022,” Tshabangu says.
Tshabangu says he attended both meetings in Harare.
The NEC considered four options under which to participate:
1- As per the status quo, using the MDC-A name, and challenging the MDC-T to retain the name; or
2- Rebranding the MDC-A; or
3- Forming a new party, or
4- Coming up with a new label/platform to use for the elections.
Tshabangu says the NEC adopted the fourth option and came up with CCC as the new label/platform to participate in the 26 March by-elections and any subsequent elections “without dissolving or changing the existent structures and the constitution on which the party, as it is , based”.
He says this was done purely to avoid a clash with the MDC led by Mwonzora.
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