Several Citizens’ Coalition for Change (CCC) Members of Parliament dissociated themselves from former party leader Nelson Chamisa after they attended a National Council Meeting convened by a faction whose interim president is Welshman Ncube.
According to NewsDay, during introductions, Chalton Hwende was presented as the secretary-general, Lynnete Karenyi-Kore (vice-president), while Chamisa’s former adviser Sessel Zvidzai was introduced as party chairperson.
Hwende, Karenyi-Kore and others including legislators Richard Tsvangirayi, Maureen Kademaunga and Happymore Chidziva appeared in control of proceedings at the meeting.
Addressing the media, Ncube said the then MDC Alliance national council elected in Gweru in 2019 had failed its duty. He said:
We took responsibility as the national council accepting that we slept on the job and failed to do our duty to demand accountability and transparency in a democratic constitution, thereby, veering off our democratic principles.
Ncube appeared to accept the outcome of the disputed August 2023 general elections, saying the party will engage President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s ZANU PF but not contest the outcome of the elections. He said:
We are not going to necessarily engage ZANU PF on the results of the 2023 general elections, but instead, we are going to deal with issues around the conduct of elections based on the reports by local, regional and international observer missions.
Our view is to create a level playing field ahead of the 2028 elections. Otherwise, if we don’t, we will remain in the same place that we were in 2023.
Ncube also said they will engage Sengezo Tshabangu, the de facto leader of CCC, to resolve problems that are affecting the party.
He said Tshabangu was a legitimate leader of the CCC, who formed part of the national executive and the national council and should be engaged.
