Power Struggles and Financial Disputes Emerge Within Zimbabwe’s Opposition Party CCC

The Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC), Zimbabwe’s principal opposition group, suddenly finds itself at the center of a developing financial storm. A large quantity of ZiG 22 million—political cash intended to support the party beyond the 2023 elections—lies at the center of the dispute. However, as is often the case with tales from Zimbabwe’s political scene, the true problem goes well beyond a straightforward cash distribution.

The CCC has seen a rise in hostilities as two groups, one led by Sengezo Tshabangu and the other by Welshman Ncube, vie for control of the party’s leadership and finances. This schism, which has already given rise to multiple legal disputes, is a product of Zimbabwean politics’ deeply ingrained power relations as much as divergent political views. These days, control is more important than merely government.

Ncube’s camp wasted no time in trying to obstruct the release of funds, filed an urgent chamber motion with the High Court to prevent Professor Mthuli Ncube and Ziyambi Ziyambi, the ministers in charge of releasing the monies, from giving the money to Tshabangu’s side. Ncube’s group argues not only about legitimacy but also about the possible irreversible damage they think Tshabangu could do to the party should he take over the finances. For them, the fight is about defending the party’s essence as well as its financial future.

Tshabangu, however, has not been idle in this war of words and legal procedures. According to his side, the money allotted under the Political Parties (Finance) Act belongs to the party as a whole, not to any one group within it. His legal team, anxious to prevent politics from turning into a personal revenge game over party resources, supports this technical position. However, the wider ramifications of this financial dispute cannot be disregarded. Financial power and politics have long been linked in Zimbabwe, where those in control of the money frequently shape the narrative. The urgency of this issue is further compounded by the fact that Tshabangu has recalled elected Members of Parliament, further compromising the party’s legal and organizational status.

Not only will the ongoing court cases—HC 7321/23 and HCH 6872/23, in particular—decide who will receive the ZiG 22 million, but also who will be in charge of the CCC. However, the true harm may be happening in the background while the courts are deliberating. The CCC runs the risk of alienating its core followers, many of whom are becoming more and more disenchanted with the internal power battles that beset Zimbabwe’s opposition parties, the longer this war continues.

Naturally, this judicial drama is accompanied by a parallel story that represents a larger tendency in Zimbabwean politics. The internal strife within the CCC is a reflection of a wider pattern of opposition disintegration that has been seen in Zimbabwe in various forms since post-independence. Internal conflicts have frequently befallen Zimbabwe’s opposition parties, from Joshua Nkomo’s ZAPU days to the more recent splits within the MDC, undermining their capacity to oppose the ZANU PF government.

From a strategic one, ZANU PF stands to gain from this conflict inside the CCC. A minute is wasted bickering over resources and leadership positions for every second that is lost to mobilizing against the ruling party’s hold on power. In fact, one could contend that ZANU PF would prefer internal strife because it indicates that the opposition party is too preoccupied with its own issues to put out a united front.

In the meantime, the people of Zimbabwe, a large portion of whom supported change in the elections of 2023, would start to doubt the CCC’s ability to govern the nation. The need for a robust, unified opposition has never been higher, as political unpredictability and economic suffering continue to rise. However, with its executives enmeshed in a financially contentious high-stakes legal dispute, the CCC can find itself losing trust among the people, who matter most.

But it’s important to remember that this is not the end of the story. Both sides are bracing for a protracted legal struggle as the High Court has not yet issued a definite decision regarding who is the legitimate recipient of the CCC’s political funds. It is certain, however, that the resolution of this legal issue will have far-reaching effects on the opposition movement in Zimbabwe.

There is more at stake in the CCC’s fight for political and financial dominance than just ZiG 22 million. It concerns Zimbabwe’s opposition politics going forward and if the CCC can get over its own conflicts to actually fight ZANU PF in the next years. One thing is for sure, regardless of the result: the party’s and Zimbabwe’s precarious democracy are at greater risk than they have ever been.

More: The Zim Bulletin