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In yet another twist to the ongoing political drama within the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC), self-proclaimed secretary-general Sengezo Tshabangu has abruptly withdrawn his urgent High Court application seeking to block party president Welshman Ncube from recalling him from Parliament.
Represented by Advocate Lewis Uriri, Tshabangu informed High Court judge Justice Mary Zimba-Dube of his decision to pull out of the case, leaving political observers questioning his strategy. Ncube, who has been at the center of the battle for control within CCC, dismissed Tshabangu’s legal move as ill-advised.
“It was not sensible to file two urgent chamber applications at once,” Ncube remarked. “He should have first challenged his dismissal before proceeding with the other application under normal court processes.”
Meanwhile, a separate case, HCH875/25, which was supposed to be heard by the same judge, has been postponed to March 21 due to delays in the release of the consolidated index by the registrar. This procedural setback made it difficult for both the court and legal representatives to proceed as planned.
Willias Madzimure, spokesperson for the Ncube-led CCC faction, confirmed the developments, stating, “The other case, HCH830/25, where Tshabangu sought to prevent the party from recalling him and the Speaker of Parliament from accepting the recall, was withdrawn without an order of costs.”
Tshabangu’s troubles began after he was dismissed from the party for allegedly violating the CCC constitution and unilaterally making changes to the party’s parliamentary portfolio holders without authorization. In response, he rushed to the High Court, securing an interim order from Judge President Justice Mary Zimba-Dube, which allowed him to retain his parliamentary seat pending the resolution of his legal battle.
However, Ncube remains resolute in his stance, filing an opposing application in which he dismisses Tshabangu’s claim to party membership. According to Ncube, Tshabangu has no legal basis to challenge the party’s decision in court. Tshabangu, on the other hand, argues that all CCC office bearers, including Ncube, effectively lost their positions when their terms expired in May 2024.
As the CCC’s internal war rages on, the legal battles seem far from over, with political maneuvering taking center stage in what is shaping up to be a fierce fight for control of Zimbabwe’s opposition movement.
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