The Sunday News
Debra Matabvu
FOUR factions of the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) are locked in an intense fight over the party’s share of funds that are disbursed by the Government under the Political Parties (Finance) Act.
It has emerged that a quartet of CCC officials — Messrs Sengezo Tshabangu, Jameson Timba and Promise Mkwananzi, as well as Professor Welshman Ncube — have separately written to Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi asking for the funds to be deposited into their respective bank accounts.
They all claim to be the legitimate leaders of the opposition political party.
Only the ruling party, Zanu-PF, and CCC qualify to receive a share of the funding in terms of the Political Parties (Finance) Act.
Parties that receive at least 5 percent of the total votes cast in the general election qualify for State funding. Each party’s share is proportional to the number of National Assembly seats they secured in the previous election.
During the 2023 harmonised elections, Zanu-PF won 136 National Assembly seats, while the CCC only managed 73.
In January, CCC leader Mr Nelson Chamisa quit the party in a huff owing to internecine fights, plunging the political outfit into further turmoil.
Multiple factions have since emerged within the party, with several officials claiming proprietorship.
In an interview with The Sunday Mail, Minister Ziyambi said the opposition’s share of funds will only be allocated to the legitimate CCC representatives.
“Zanu-PF has already written to us, and everything is clear,” he said.
“However, there is confusion in the CCC camp.
“There are a lot of letters coming from the CCC, so we said to them we cannot give them the money when we do not know the legitimate representative of the party. So, we believe they will sort themselves out or even in the courts if need be.”
The Government, he said, will not release funds to any of the factions until their disputes have been resolved.
