THE Sengezo Tshabangu-led Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) has been slammed for abdicating its oversight role in Parliament by backing the controversial constitutional amendments meant to extend President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s rule beyond 2028.
Tshabungu’s faction has thrown its weight behind Constitutional Amendment No 3 Bill (CAB 3), with observers saying it has exposed its true political allegiance as a proxy for the ruling Zanu PF party.
The CCC has reportedly halted its active opposition to the amendment Bill to enter negotiations with Zanu PF.
The faction claims it wants revisions that prioritise national consensus over partisan interests.
This development follows a statement issued by Tshabangu’s camp via interim national spokesperson Nqobizitha Mlilo.
The statement welcomed CAB 3 on the condition that a “government of national consensus” is established once the legislation passes.
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Among other major changes, the Bill proposes extending the terms of office for the President, parliamentarians and local authorities from five to seven years.
It also seeks to replace the direct popular election of the President with an electoral college vote conducted by lawmakers.
Political analysts yesterday argued that Tshabangu’s latest moves confirmed long-standing suspicions regarding his actions in late 2023.
Critics have long argued that his systematic recall of elected opposition MPs and councillors was a calculated strategy to grant Zanu PF the two-thirds parliamentary supermajority needed to amend the Constitution.
Speaking to NewsDay, political analyst Tendai Mbofana said Tshabangu had reached the final stage of his assignment.
Mbofana argued that defending CAB 3 under the pretext of an extended transitional framework proves Tshabangu is following a Zanu PF script designed to suspend democratic elections.
“The announcement that Sengezo Tshabangu and his faction are open to supporting CAB 3 confirms what many of us have argued from the very beginning,” he said.
“His actions since late 2023, specifically the systematic recall of elected Citizens Coalition for Change Members of Parliament and councillors, were never about correcting internal party anomalies.
“They were a calculated strategy to dismantle the legitimate opposition and deliver the two-thirds parliamentary supermajority that Zanu PF required to alter the supreme law of the country.”
Legal and constitutional experts have also raised alarm, warning that the proposed changes undermine democratic governance by replacing public accountability with centralised political deals.
Mbofana added that other opposition groups fighting CAB 3 faced an uphill battle due to a heavily compromised Legislature.
“As for whether there is hope left for groups opposing CAB 3, the battle is severely compromised inside Parliament due to this manufactured majority.
“However, the ultimate battleground lies in the defence of constitutionalism itself.”
“Section 328(7) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe explicitly states that any amendment to a term-limit provision cannot benefit the incumbent holding office before the amendment.”
Analysts broadly agreed that Tshabangu’s political survival depends on delaying general elections.
They also suggested that he is desperate to avoid the 2028 harmonised elections, choosing instead to back a term extension under a pseudo-coalition setup that secures his faction more time in Parliament without facing voters.
“While Tshabangu and his allies may command seats in Parliament through political engineering, they do not command the mandate of the people,” Mbofana added.
“The opposition to this Bill will continue through intense legal challenges against this abuse of power, civic mobilisation and the unyielding demand that the constitutional rules protecting governance limits be respected.”
Political analyst Rashweat Mukundu warned that Zimbabwe effectively no longer has a viable opposition party following the CCC faction’s decision to signal conditional support for CAB 3.
Mukundu said CCC’s willingness to negotiate terms on a Bill that drastically rewrites Zimbabwe’s governance framework signalled the final collapse of organised alternative politics in the country.
“There is no opposition. Tshabangu is just trying to create a story to justify his actions. Tshabangu is a part of Zanu PF, regardless of the fact that he is operating under an opposition tag,” Mukundu said.
“So this opposition is for Emmerson Mnangagwa. There is nothing legitimate about what Tshabangu is saying here.
“His assumption of leadership in CCC was engineered by Zanu PF in the security sector.
“When we all know that his handlers have told him to support the constitutional amendments and whatever he is saying, he is also probably just reading from a script from Zanu PF headquarters. So, no one should take Tshabangu seriously. He is part of the ruling party.”
Mukundu added that Tshabangu was merely returning a favour to Zanu PF after receiving backing from a “captured” Parliament and Judiciary during the 2023 recall process, which ultimately secured him a seat in the Senate.
“The legislative and judicial support received during the previous year aligns with these observations,” he said.
“The current discourse appears to be an attempt to provide a procedural framework for these political shifts.”