Controversial opposition figure Sengezo Tshabangu is once again making waves — and not for the right reasons. The self-proclaimed Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) Secretary-General is reportedly behind a shocking new proposal to suspend Zimbabwe’s 2028 general elections, a move that has reignited accusations that he’s working hand-in-glove with the ruling elite.
The explosive revelation was made by ZANU PF Secretary for Legal Affairs, Ziyambi Ziyambi, during a heated Politburo meeting held on Tuesday.
Ziyambi was responding to Vice President Constantino Chiwenga’s claims that a secret faction within the ruling party was collaborating with exiled former minister Jonathan Moyo to sneak a constitutional amendment into Parliament.
According to Ziyambi, the controversial proposal — dubbed the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) — seeks to amend Section 92 of the Constitution to allow for the indefinite suspension of general elections, effectively extending President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s rule beyond 2028.
Ziyambi dismissed suggestions that Jonathan Moyo was behind the alleged plot, insisting that the idea originated from Tshabangu himself.
“The BBI is an opposition document which was initially brought to my attention by the leader of the opposition in Parliament, Sengezo Tshabangu, accompanied by a General Khumalo from the Vice President’s Office,” Ziyambi revealed.
“There is no evidence that the BBI is funded by anyone named by the Vice President — it seems to be the brainchild of Tshabangu himself.”
Political observers say if the proposal were to gain traction, it would mark a complete betrayal of democratic principles and confirm suspicions that Tshabangu has long been playing both sides — undermining the opposition while cozying up to the establishment.
This is not the first time Tshabangu has been accused of sabotaging the opposition movement.
Shortly after the 2023 general elections, he declared himself the CCC’s Interim Secretary-General, despite the party having no record of electing him. Lacking a formal constitution or membership list, the CCC leadership found it difficult to challenge his claim in court.
Tshabangu went on a recall spree — writing to Parliament and the Senate, claiming that several CCC MPs, Senators, and Councillors were no longer party members. His letters were accepted as legitimate, leading to mass recalls that handed dozens of seats to ZANU PF in subsequent by-elections.
Courts later upheld Tshabangu’s authority, citing the CCC’s lack of official documentation as the reason his actions stood unchallenged.
The chaotic fallout from these recalls crippled the CCC and ultimately led to Nelson Chamisa’s resignation as party leader in January 2024 — a political earthquake that many blamed squarely on Tshabangu’s manoeuvres.
Political commentators say Tshabangu’s latest push to delay elections confirms what many already believed — that he has abandoned opposition politics in exchange for political protection and personal gain.
“Every time democracy takes a step forward, Tshabangu appears to drag it two steps back,” one analyst told ZiMetro News. “His actions consistently benefit the ruling establishment, not the voters he claims to represent.”
The so-called BBI project has been widely condemned as a thinly veiled attempt to entrench power under the guise of “building national unity.” Critics warn that the move could effectively erase electoral democracy in Zimbabwe if allowed to proceed.
For many Zimbabweans, Tshabangu’s latest stunt is a continuation of a pattern — a man who rose from political obscurity only to become a spoiler figure, accused of selling out the opposition cause at every turn.
As one political observer put it:
“First, he destroyed the CCC from within. Now he wants to destroy elections altogether. Tshabangu is back to his old tricks — the ultimate sellout.”
© ZiMetro News