Some analysts believe the appointment of Sengezo Tshabangu as the leader of the opposition in Parliament is a calculated power play by Zanu PF to silence opposition voices.
A section of Zimbabweans distrusts Tshabangu because he is mostly known for recalling several elected representatives in the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) from Parliament and councils across the country after last year’s national elections, with some CCC members alleging he was a Zanu PF tool to destroy the opposition.
Others, however, do not blame Tshabangu, claiming that former CCC leader Nelson Chamisa was equally to blame for the party’s demise because he expected everyone to be accountable to him yet answered to no one.
Nonetheless, critical studies scholar Dr Khanyile Mlotshwa contends that Tshabangu’s appointment, whether fair or not, may depoliticise politics by taking the heat off contentious political matters, as President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s administration is accused of doing.
These sentiments follow the announcement of Tshabangu’s appointment by the Speaker of the National Assembly, Jacob Mudenda, in Parliament on Thursday, despite reservations from some CCC members who objected that they did not meet to discuss any leadership changes, their reservations fell on deaf ears.
“I note that it remains unclear who made the appointment. That is important because whoever appoints, not only can they disappoint, but they pull the strings behind their appointed puppet,” Dr Mlotshwa said.
“These boardroom dealings have the implications of further depoliticising politics, which has been the constant trajectory of the ‘Second Republic.’ It also shows how weak the opposition is in Zimbabwe.”
According to political analyst Bernard Magugu, Tshabangu’s ‘promotion’ is a reward from the ruling Zanu PF party for “decimating” its rival CCC opposition.
“The appointment of Sengezo Tshabangu to the following positions: Leader of the Opposition in Parliament and Member of the Parliament Standing Rules and Orders Committee, which is the legislative assembly’s supreme decision-making body, is a thank you from Zanu for decimating the CCC by recalling almost everyone in that party who was either an MP or a councillor,” he said.
Magugu claimed Tshabangu’s appointment was “indeed a gross miscarriage of justice, as it reversed the voice of the people.”
“One wonders what happened when the president claimed ‘Vox populi, vox Dei’ (The voice of the people is the voice of God). Finally, the voice of God has been silenced, stuffed in deep pits of darkness, and Tshabangu’s appointment was the concrete lid finally placed on top of those pits so that no voice can be heard again, thus ending an experiment carried out in Zanu labs,” he alleged.
Opposition politician Iphithule Maphosa said Tshabangu’s appointment left a divided and powerless opposition.
“Just as we thought the circus was through, we are treated to more drama concerning the so-called opposition. It is no longer about people’s interests but those of the Zanu PF regime and individuals. The regime has successfully divided the Tshabangu and (Professor Welshman) Ncube faction of the CCC by pitting the two against each other,” Maphosa said.
Maphosa said this appointment comes when reports indicated Prof. Ncube has been engaging Zanu PF and President Mnangagwa.
“We hear Welshman Ncube has been talking to the same regime for a possible constitutional violation by forming a unity government and moving elections forward, ostensibly as leader of the same opposition party, yet the regime picks Tshabangu without consulting the principal,” he said.
“There is now officially no opposition in Parliament. The obliteration, which started before elections, has come full circle now.”
Some analysts claim Tshabangu deserved the appointment as he revealed the cracks in the CCC and the lack of leadership structures.
“Tshabangu has worked hard for it and deserves it, perks and all,” said Patrick Ndlovu.
“Tshabangu took over the party and made them dance to his tune. So, he is the leader of that party in Parliament and outside as well.”
Tshabangu now assumes the role of primary spokesperson for the opposition in its dealings with the government and other stakeholders.
His responsibilities encompass the formation of parliamentary portfolio committees and the selection of opposition representatives for positions within international organizations such as the Pan-African Parliament (PAP), the SADC Parliamentary Forum, the International Parliamentary Union (IPU), and the African, Caribbean, and Pacific-European Union (ACP-EU).
In addition to his new leadership role, Tshabangu will also serve on the Parliament Standing Rules and Orders Committee.
