A major storm has erupted within the Bulawayo provincial structures of the Sengezo Tshabangu-aligned Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) after the provincial chairperson, Thamsanqa Ncube, was pushed out for supporting a court challenge seeking to halt Zanu-PF’s controversial push to extend President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s stay in office beyond 2028. The dramatic fallout has exposed deepening divisions within the already fractured opposition, while also intensifying the political tension surrounding the ruling party’s alleged “2030 agenda”.
Ncube faces accusations of signing off on a Constitutional Court application filed by Bulawayo-based civic organisation Ibhetshu LikaZulu. The organisation is seeking a court order compelling Zanu-PF to abandon its resolution to extend Mnangagwa’s tenure from two to three terms. Critics argue that the ruling party is attempting to create a legal and political pathway to keep Mnangagwa in power until at least 2030—moves that has triggered alarm among opposition groups, civil society, and constitutional lawyers.
What has fueled the fallout further is that Ncube is not only the CCC provincial chairperson but also the chairperson of Ibhetshu LikaZulu. His dual roles have placed him at the centre of a political storm. Sources within the CCC Bulawayo provincial executive say he angered fellow leaders for acting independently without first seeking the party’s approval or consulting the provincial structures.
“The feeling of the party is that Ncube was supposed to report back to the party as its chairperson about the ConCourt and get proper direction and guidance,” a senior provincial insider told The Standard. “He has brought the structures into disrepute, and the only option was to excuse him so that he focuses on his pressure group without dragging the party’s name.”
Following internal deliberations, Ncube was removed from his position and replaced by his deputy, former Entumbane legislator Dingilizwe Tshuma. However, Tshuma’s elevation was short-lived, as he has since defected to Zanu-PF, joining another former CCC MP, Albert Mhlanga. Their departures have further destabilised the Tshabangu faction, which has been grappling with credibility issues since its controversial recall of dozens of opposition MPs and councillors in 2023 and 2024.
When contacted for comment, CCC spokesperson and Bulawayo councillor Ntando Ndlovu said he was not aware that Ncube’s removal was specifically linked to his involvement in the court challenge. Attempts to reach Ncube for clarification were unsuccessful.
Turmoil Rocks CCC Bulawayo Structures as Thamsanqa Ncube Ousted Over Challenge to Mnangagwa Term-Extension Bid
Tshuma, in explaining his decision to cross the floor to Zanu-PF, said he no longer believed in the direction—or lack thereof—of the Tshabangu-led grouping.
“Politics is dynamic and very fluid, and there are guiding principles that inform our operations,” Tshuma said. “I had to introspect and reflect on the state of the opposition. I realised there is nothing to write home about. I saw a bleaker future in terms of communication, engagement and sharing ideas — there is inactivity.”
Meanwhile, Zanu-PF is reportedly attempting to avoid taking its term-extension proposal to a national referendum. Party insiders say the ruling party plans to use its parliamentary majority to push through constitutional amendments aligned with the 2030 resolution, which critics argue would dangerously undermine democratic processes and entrench authoritarian rule.
As resistance to the proposal grows, rights activists warn of an intensifying crackdown on dissent. Yesterday, police were seen outside the home of Constitutional Defence Forum (CDF) member and former Harare mayor Herbert Gomba, raising fears of targeted intimidation. In another alarming incident, security agents reportedly surrounded the offices of lawyer and former finance minister Tendai Biti as tensions escalated around constitutional activism.
These incidents follow the bombing of the Sapes Trust offices earlier in the week—an attack that occurred just hours before opposition leaders were scheduled to hold a press conference responding to the alleged 2030 extension plot. Though investigations into the bombing are ongoing, activists view it as part of a broader strategy to silence voices critical of Mnangagwa’s potential third-term bid.
The chaos within the CCC Bulawayo provincial structures, combined with the mounting state pressure on civil society and opposition figures, reflects a deepening sense of instability in Zimbabwe’s political landscape. With Zanu-PF pushing ahead with its contentious agenda and the opposition fragmented by internal disputes and defections, the battle over Mnangagwa’s possible extended rule is set to intensify further in the coming months.
For now, both the opposition and civil society find themselves navigating a perilous environment marked by uncertainty, mistrust and escalating intimidation—as Zimbabwe edges deeper into a heated debate over constitutionalism, succession and the future of democratic governance.
