Staff Reporter
The Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) appears to be on the brink of collapse as two distinct factions, one aligned to former leader Nelson Chamisa and another led by Welshman Ncube, engage in a bitter power struggle.
According to a source close to the Chamisa faction, Promise Mkwananzi, the party's spokesperson, dismissed the appointment of Welshman Ncube, Tendai Biti, and Lynette Karenyi-Kore as the core acting presidents of the CCC as "null and void."
"Mkwananzi has dismissed the appointment of Ncube, Biti and Karenyi-Kore as core acting presidents of the party after the departure of Chamisa. Mkwananzi has labelled the appointment as unconstitutional and devoid of legitimacy," the source revealed.
Additionally, the source revealed that Mkwananzi lambasted the press statement issued by Jacob Mafume, the CCC Harare City Council Mayor and interim spokesperson in the CCC-Welshman Ncube faction, for announcing the new party leadership. Mkwananzi further alleged that the trio were serving as state proxies aimed at sabotaging the CCC.
"Mkwananzi contends that Biti, Ncube, and Karenyi-Kore represent the interests of the state, seeking to undermine the party from within," the source asserted.
However, the Welshman Ncube-aligned faction paints a different picture. A source within their camp dismissed Mkwananzi's claims, asserting that the party has reverted to its 2019 structures, rendering him (Mkwananzi) powerless. They ridiculed Mkwananzi as a "nobody" who lacks the authority to comment on CCC matters.
"Mkwananzi was appointed spokesperson by Chamisa, who is no longer the leader of the CCC," a source close to Welshman Ncube faction stated.
"With Chamisa's departure, the party automatically reverts to its pre-2019 structures, where Mkwananzi held no position. He is irrelevant to the current leadership discussions, and his pronouncements carry no weight,” said the source.
Meanwhile, political commentator, Calvin Chitsunge, offered insights into the origins of CCC's tumultuous predicament, attributing the crisis to Chamisa's failure to institute robust structures and to uphold constitutional principles.
"Chamisa's failure to set up structures within CCC and to uphold the constitution led to the demise of CCC. His departure further intensified internal strife within CCC, leaving the party rudderless and engulfed in chaos," Chitsunge opined, highlighting the leadership vacuum that precipitated the current state of disarray.
As CCC grapples with its own survival, the path to unity and coherence appears fraught with obstacles, casting a cloud of uncertainty over the party's future trajectory.
