Staff Reporter
Tribal politics is brewing havoc at Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) as factionalism presents its ugly head in that party’s Matabeleland leadership.
CCC co-Vice President, Professor Welshman Ncube and Dr Thokozani Khupe are fielding candidates of their choice for this year’s Harmonized General Elections. The pair is allegedly selecting pure Ndebele people to represent CCC in the polls. Meanwhile, a rivalry faction led by Thabitha Khumalo which is heavily dominated by Shona people and aligned to CCC leader, Nelson Chamisa is counter mobilising stakeholders to defuse Ncube and Khupe.
A senior CCC member confided to this publication that the Ncube and Khupe faction had already made presentations of a list of preferred candidates for Bulawayo province.
“The list is as follows Bulawayo South; Jasmine Toffa, Bulawayo North: Thokozani Khupe, Bulawayo Central; Mbuso Siso, Ntumbane Njube; Dingilizwe Tshuma, Luveve Makhandeni; DC Bajila, Cowdray; Stella Ndlovu, Magwegwe Lobengula; Anele Ndebele, Phumula; Sichelesile Mahlangu, Nkulumane; Kucaca Phulu, Nketa; Mandla Nyathi, Mpopoma Mzilikazi; Bekithemba Nyathi and Tshabalala Phelandaba; Nomvula Mguni.
“However, Thabitha Khumalo and company are busy mobilising stakeholders to defuse the Ncube, Khupe faction which has a wider appeal amongst the locals who feel that there are too many Shona people at the party” said the source.
The senior CCC member added that Chamisa was grappling to unite the party at a time the elections are inching closer.
“Chamisa is certainly running out of time and is under pressure to unite the Matabeleland region as a whole. The locals have not healed from the infamous hounding of Khupe and she is pushing the tribal trump card to solicit for sympathy from her keith and kin. Things are definitely spiralling out of control,” added the source.
Meanwhile, Chamisa is on the record declaring that that party was not going to hold an elective congress for the fear of being infiltrated by ZANU PF. The decision ignited a diplomatic ruckus with a number of western embassies questioning the rationale behind the stunt before declaring it undemocratic and not representing the will of the people, but that of Chamisa.
