In a development that underscores the deepening crisis within Zimbabwe’s opposition, self-proclaimed Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) secretary-general Sengezo Tshabangu has publicly warned that former party leader Nelson Chamisa cannot launch a new political party because, he claims, constitutionally Chamisa remains president of the CCC and is bound by its organisational rules.

Tshabangu’s comments,widely circulated on social media platforms, including posts on Facebook and X, state that Chamisa “cannot start another party because constitutionally he is still our president” and that he would pursue legal action to enforce this position. Tshabangu added that he will “go to court” to block Chamisa’s plans should he attempt to form an alternative political organisation

The warning comes against the backdrop of ongoing internal disputes within the CCC over leadership legitimacy, organisational control, and constitutional compliance. Tshabangu, who has styled himself as the CCC’s interim secretary-general, has been at the centre of factional conflicts that began after the 2023 general elections when he initiated a series of controversial recalls of elected CCC legislators, actions that have been widely challenged within political and legal circles.

Nelson Chamisa, who founded the CCC in January 2022 as a successor to earlier opposition formations, formally announced his exit from the party in January 2024, describing the organisation as having been “hijacked.” Since then, he has been politically active outside compulsory party structures, including unveiling a citizens’ movement called Agenda 2026, which he says is intended to mobilise Zimbabweans around governance reforms and national renewal. Chamisa has described the initiative as a broad citizens’ movement rather than a conventional political party.

Political analysts say that Chamisa’s departure and re-entry into the political arena through a movement rather than a party reflects lessons from the CCC crisis, which critics have attributed in part to the party’s lack of a formal constitution and clear organisational structures at its inception.

Tshabangu’s claim that Chamisa remains CCC president flies in the face of several internal factional positions and disputes over legitimacy. The CCC’s organisational status has been contested since Tshabangu began issuing recall letters to Parliament and local authorities in late 2022 and 2023, claiming authority under an interim constitution that many party officials say was never properly established.

The internal conflict has spilled into courtrooms, with judicial orders at times restraining Tshabangu from certain actions including a High Court ruling blocking him from reassigning parliamentary roles on behalf of the CCC, even as broader disputes over his authority continue.

Meanwhile, opposition activists and senior CCC figures have openly rejected Tshabangu’s authority, arguing that his claims are not recognised under the party’s internal structures. In December 2024, a faction led by Professor Welshman Ncube another senior opposition leader associated with the CCC publicly rejected Tshabangu’s actions and statements, asserting that his authority was temporary and inconsistent with party values.

Tshabangu’s assertion that Chamisa cannot form a new party highlights continuing organisational turmoil within Zimbabwe’s opposition space. While Tshabangu’s statements have attracted attention online and among party factions, there is no indication yet that a court has been formally petitioned to bar Chamisa from forming a political organisation.

Observers say the episode reflects broader weakness in opposition party governance and the challenges of maintaining unified leadership in the face of legal, institutional, and internal pressures. Any legal test of Tshabangu’s claim will likely hinge on interpretations of party constitutions, organisational authority, and Zimbabwean electoral law rather than Tshabangu’s public declarations alone.