Tshabangu’s CCC pushes for deal with Zanu PF

President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s manoeuvres to neutralise the opposition have been made easier by the Sengezo Tshabangu linked-CCC eagerness to cut deals with the ruling Zanu PF. Mnangagwa, who is serving his second and last term, has distanced himself from a push for him to extend his stay in power beyond 2028.

Zanu PF enjoys a two-thirds majority to push for its favourable laws, but Mnangagwa cannot benefit from any changes to the constitution.

Indications are that Tshabangu’s CCC is pushing for a pact with Zanu PF that will delay the 2028 elections, which will benefit Mnangagwa.

Tshabangu has all along been dismissed as a Zanu PF proxy after he emerged from nowhere claiming to be the interim CCC secretary general and started recalling party legislators to give Zanu PF a twothirds majority.

He also frustrated former CCC leader Nelson Chamisa to quit the opposition party that he formed in 2022.

Tshabangu has been seen in a latest Toyota GD-6 vehicle with sources also saying that he recently received keys to a house in one of Bulawayo’s low density suburbs.

Nqobizitha Mlilo, the spokesperson for the Tshabangu linked CCC faction, did not deny that they have started secret meetings with Zanu PF to postpone the 2028 elections.

“It has been a long held position of the opposition, then as the MDC, and also as

Movement for MDC Alliance, that we need national dialogue to resolve our deep political problems,” Mlilo said in an interview.

“We need to bridge this gap. This gap can only be bridged in honest and sincere dialogue.

“We have two broad choices, we dialogue or we enter a phrase of citizen led confrontation of the state.

“The former builds the country. The latter takes us into serious regression.”

Some sources also revealed that Mnangagwa is exploring avenues to win the support of opposition MPs through various inducements.

“Obviously they will be enticed by the idea as they also want to benefit; the longer he stays in power, the longer they also enjoy their positions in Parliament,” a source said.

CCC spokesperson Promise Mkwananzi dismissed the Tshabangu faction as being a Zanu PF project.

“That is a project of people who know they are unelectable, they only seek to prolong their illegal stay in Parliament and in government,” Mkwanazi said.

“They are part of Zanu PF and they have joined the bandwagon.

“The people of Zimbabwe want legitimacy, economic stability and they want a government of their own choice.”

Political analyst Maxwell Saungweme said the current push by the opposition to delay the elections was motivated by self-interest.

“No genuine opposition party would push for that,” Saungweme said.

“The business of opposition parties is to wrestle power from the incumbent or ruling party.

“If you see an opposition party siding with the ruling party to postpone elections for no good reason, then know that you are dealing with imposters, not genuine opposition parties.”

Saungweme said elections can only be postponed when there is a war or serious natural disasters.

“But planning for postponing elections is not only unheard of, but showcases the reality that these political actors are bent at "eating" and not real democratic change,” he said.

Another political analyst Ruben Mbofana said Tshabangu and his associates have been instrumental in decimating opposition politics in Zimbabwe.

“Mnangagwa has been brainstorming what measures to ensure that he clings on to power,” he said.

“He used the likes of Tshabangu to decimate the opposition in parliament, so Tshabangu did their bidding successfully.”

“So that’s why we are seeing the Tshabangu faction unnecessarily pushing for the extension of his term.”

Political analyst Kudakwashe Muneno said Zimbabwe needed broad-based dialogue rather than maneuvers aimed at consolidating power.

“Unfortunately, the characters pushing for such are seemingly doing it for their personal, greedy and selfish interests which do not transform the lives of the majority who continue to grapple with the socio-economic and political challenges bedevilling Zimbabwe,” Muneno said.