Party youths aligned to opposition Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) ex-leader Nelson Chamisa on Tuesday seized the party’s Bulawayo office, and repainted blue from the CCC’s yellow brand colour, in what appears to be the beginning of a bitter tussle for assets by rival factions.

Chamisa quit the CCC last week following a bitter tussle for control of the party with interim secretary general Sengezo Tshabangu, which has been raging for months.

The tussle mainly played out in parliament where Tshabangu recalled several parliamentarians aligned to Chamisa, prompting several by-elections.

Chamisa quit the party, accusing Tshabangu of having sold out to the ruling party, but is yet to announce his future political plans.

But, inspite of the ex-leader’s ambiguity on his political future, loyal youths on Tuesday took the initiative, and pounced on the CCC’s office in Bulawayo, and took control.

They repainted it blue from yellow, and emblazoned Chamisa’s face on a banner mounted on the office. This is inspite of overtures made by Tsabangu earlier on Monday for the two rival factions to reconcile, and stabilise the CCC ship.

The seizure of the office appears to mark the beginning of a tussle for control of the party’s assets, which Tshabangu has already demanded from Chamisa after he quit the CCC.

“As Bulawayo youths, we are saying we are fully behind the leadership of Nelson Chamisa, nothing more, nothing less. Even if he goes to form a party in South Africa, we will follow him not Tshabangu,” Bongani Nkomo, a CCC youth leader who was among those who seized the Bulawayo office, said.

“We are here to stay and no one will move us. This is our home and we will continue to use these offices,” he added.

Tshabangu said his faction was plotting its counter-action to the seizure of the office, and will announce its move in due course.

New Ziana