Tshabangu suffers setback as CCC MPs boycott Mnangagwa farm tour

Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) interim secretary-general Sengezo Tshabangu suffered a significant setback yesterday after most of the party's lawmakers snubbed his call to tour President Emmerson Mnangagwa's Precabe Farm.

The call for the farm tour came at a time when the battle to control the opposition party has intensified among three faction leaders - Jameson Timba, Welshman Ncube, and Tshabangu.

Tshabangu had rallied Members of Parliament to attend the event, which he described as an ideal platform to initiate dialogue with Mnangagwa. However, the majority of MPs ignored his call, with less than 20 lawmakers attending the tour.

The CCC, with 88 MPs and 27 senators in Parliament, saw divisions deepened as Jameson Timba's faction commanded its 50 MPs and 11 Senators not to attend the tour. Similarly, the CCC faction led by Welshman Ncube issued directives discouraging participation.

The few MPs who participated are largely those appointed by Tshabangu after he recalled dozens of legislators in September 2023.

Tshabangu described the attendance as "good," asserting that the event was a significant step toward solution-finding, nation-building, and consensus. "Zimbabwe is our country. We will find a way of solving our admittedly self-evident national challenges. There is an answer, we will find a way. All we need is to be brave," he said.

Among the MPs who attended included Matabeleland legislators Charles Moyo, Kucaca Phulu, and Thokozani Khupe, among others.

CCC chief whip Edwin Mushoriwa, aligned with the Ncube faction, stated that the party's legislators did not attend. "They could not have attended because there was no formal communication from Parliament," he said.

The meeting at Precabe Farm has been viewed by many as a strategic move to advance the 2030 agenda, which seeks to extend President Mnangagwa's term beyond the constitutional two terms, ending in 2028. This move has raised concerns, with some fearing it undermines Zimbabwe's constitutional term limits.

The event also exposed deep-seated divisions within the CCC, with critics labeling Tshabangu a Zanu-PF proxy. Some MPs who participated have previously endorsed plans to extend Mnangagwa's tenure beyond 2028.

Yesterday's event was choreographed, with lawmakers wearing caps emblazoned with the hashtag #ResolutionNumber1 - a nod to the party's resolution from last year's annual conference supporting a constitutional amendment allowing Mnangagwa to extend his rule.

Former Zengeza West legislator Job Sikhala condemned opposition MPs who attended, calling them Zanu-PF "implants" and accusing them of advancing a nefarious agenda. "They are planted puppets whose agenda is to advance the nefarious agenda of 2030. They are comfortable with the sellout deal as long as they will be eating," he said.

Political analyst Pardon Taodzera noted that Mnangagwa's allies are attempting to consolidate power under the guise of national consensus. "It's a strategy to legitimize the idea of extending his term. The optics of bipartisanship create an illusion of unity while systematically eroding democratic principles," Taodzera said.

Law expert Aaron Hamauswa added that Zanu-PF is using soft power to neutralize opposition resistance while preparing for constitutional amendments.

Despite Mnangagwa's repeated assertions that he is a constitutionalist and plans to step down after his current term ends in 2028, Zanu-PF's maneuvering continues to suggest otherwise. Critics believe the recent farm visit was an attempt by Tshabangu to curry favor with Zanu-PF amidst ongoing factional clashes within CCC.