Chamisa Did Not Want Welshman Ncube And Tendai Biti In CCC, Says Mutebuka
Political commentator Brighton Mutebuka has hit back at Freeman Chari’s assertion that Nelson Chamisa, the former leader of the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC), personalised the movement with his doctrine of “Strategic Ambiguity.”
Chari, a veteran opposition activist based in the United States, who has had extensive involvement with MDC, MDC-T, MDC Alliance, and CCC, claimed that when the movement was first founded, there was a collective consensus on the importance of having a constitution and structured organisation.
However, he argued that Chamisa’s principle of Strategic Ambiguity led to the abandonment of those initial agreements, effectively disregarding the foundational promises.
In a sharp response posted on X, Mutebuka accused Chari of exposing sensitive, private discussions to the public. He criticized Chari for breaking confidentiality and airing internal matters outside the party.
Mutebuka further revealed that Chamisa was never interested in working with former senior MDC officials who had left the party under the leadership of the late Morgan Tsvangirai.
Notable figures such as Welshman Ncube, Tendai Biti, and Job Sikhala, who departed at various points, later returned to join the MDC Alliance—something Mutebuka suggests Chamisa did not fully support. Wrote Mutebuka:
For the record, we all agreed on the fundamentals. Where we differ is our understanding of the dynamics involved & how to resolve them.
Confidential & private discussions should always be kept under lock & key to engender enduring trust & relationships.
Even disagreements aren’t enough to move away from that caveat. This is a cardinal rule in politics.
My assessment, which I have highlighted consistently, is that there was no love lost btn Chamisa & his erstwhile colleagues from the Tsvangirai era.
He was forced to embrace them when he inherited the MDC-A from Tsvangirai. That’s also where the likes of Tshabangu came from.
With trust & confidence low, and the by-elections of March 2022 a mere 2 months after CCC’s formation, there was never enough time to complete the formalities of adopting a party Constitution at the time.
None other than Prof Ncube himself confirmed this to me in 2022. The draft remained just that.
The lack of trust was terminal, with many lying in wait to pounce & break away soon after the elections.
Chamisa was clearly aware of this. It’s what informed Strategic Ambiguity & the adoption of the Constitution that I criticised.
So the two were forced on him, as extreme measures / strategies which he hoped would be sufficient to stem infiltration & hijacking of the party – with Mwonzora’s then recent antics still raw.
Let’s not forget echoes of a haunting past involving Biti & Ncube’s damaging break aways from Tsvangirai as well.
Every strategy has got it’s pros & cons. SA succeeded in exposing ED’s hand in the infiltration of CCC using state machinery.
However, it came at a heavy price of reputational harm domestically & internationally vis-a-vis a perceived lack of adherence to democratic norms.
Many hadn’t bargained for ED being that brazen & going to such extremes in pursuit of a life presidency.
The paralysis Freeman refers to post election is attributable to ED’s infiltration.
Chamisa succeeded in exposing the regime for conducting a sham election, which was confirmed by SADC’s SEOM Final Report.
That’s the best he could do under the circumstances with a hopelessly compromised party.
Freeman is unable or unwilling to accept that Ncube & his crew’s behaviour is consistent with those that have been co-opted.
By breaking free & starting afresh, Chamisa has got one final chance to start a project on his own terms & for which he will be ultimately responsible!
It won’t be a walk in the park, but it’s for the best that a line be drawn in the sand concerning a very painful & traumatic past!
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