Timba accuses Welshman Ncube of hijacking CCC legal victories

The ongoing factional disputes within the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) have escalated, with CCC faction leader Jameson Timba accusing his former colleague, Welshman Ncube, of leveraging his legal efforts to gain an upper hand in the party's leadership wrangles.

Timba's remarks followed a High Court ruling on Wednesday granting Ncube's CCC faction an interdict to stop interim secretary-general Sengezo Tshabangu from making parliamentary appointments on behalf of the party. The court found that Tshabangu's actions violated an earlier ruling (HH 652/23), which barred him from effecting recalls or appointments pending other related cases filed by Timba's faction.

Justice Neville Wamabo, delivering the judgment, clarified that replacing members in parliamentary committees amounted to recalls, thus violating the earlier interdict. “I agree that removing members from the CSRO [Committee of Standing Rules and Orders] and replacing them with others amounts to a recall. Effectively, the first respondent disobeyed the order rendered in HH 652/23,” read part of the judgment.

In an interview with NewsDay, Timba alleged that Ncube's faction had piggybacked on legal groundwork laid by his team, despite Ncube not being the CCC leader. Timba attributed the delay in pursuing his cases to his recent incarceration but emphasized that his faction was reviewing the judgment and its implications.

"What I seem to get for now is that Professor Welshman Ncube went to court purporting to represent the CCC and based his challenge on an interdict we secured for our party against Tshabangu," Timba said. He reiterated that the legitimate CCC leadership, under Nelson Chamisa, had sole authority over party affairs.

Timba dismissed Ncube's claims of leadership, stating: "The judgment confirms Tshabangu has always been an impostor. Authority lies with the CCC led by president Nelson Chamisa, which I currently lead as interim leader."

Responding to Timba's assertions, Ncube-led CCC spokesperson Willias Madzimure acknowledged the relevance of Timba's prior court actions but maintained that both factions served the same party's interests. "Timba, as a member of the CCC party, had a right and duty to protect the party," Madzimure said, adding that subsequent court actions were necessary due to Tshabangu's continued defiance.

In a parallel development, Ncube announced Tshabangu's suspension from the party pending disciplinary proceedings. Citing clause 9.1.2.3 of the CCC constitution, Ncube accused Tshabangu of breaching party rules, defying party organs, and making unauthorized decisions and public statements.

“You are hereby suspended from the party and all positions you hold and/or purport to hold in the party,” Ncube's statement read. Tshabangu, however, will retain his position as Senator for Matabeleland North province.

Timba confirmed plans to reconvene the CCC's national assembly to address internal challenges and pursue pending court cases for the benefit of party members, MPs, and councillors. Meanwhile, the factional battle between Timba and Ncube continues to test the CCC's unity, raising questions about the party's future leadership and cohesion.