HARARE – The Citizens Coalition for Change party led by Welshman Ncube will receive funds under the Political Parties (Finance) Act in a major snub to two other factions, it was reported on Sunday.

Justice minister Ziyambi Ziyambi was petitioned by three rival CCC factions all claiming they were entitled to the money, and each submitting their own bank account.

Ziyambi has now decided the “windfall” will go to the Ncube faction, The Standard reported, rejecting bids by the Jameson Timba-led group and a third led by Sengezo Tshabangu, the self-styled CCC secretary general who appeared to have successfully hijacked the party and enjoys favour in the Zanu PF government.

Ziyambi professed ignorance about the development, however, telling ZimLive: “I’m not sure who has been given. I’m out of the country and I don’t even know if the money has been disbursed.”

Ncube, meanwhile, said “not yet” when asked if they had received the money. He, however, insisted that they were entitled to the cash.

“There should be no controversy there because the money is due to CCC by law, and we are CCC,” he said.

The funds, paid annually, are allocated to political parties based on their performance in the last election.

The government announced in May that the CCC would receive ZiG 22,116,500 (about US$870,000 at the official rate) and Zanu PF ZiG 70 million (about US$2.7 million).

The Timba group failed in a court bid to block the disbursement of the money, which – in court papers – they had assumed would be released to Tshabangu. A judge said the application lacked urgency.

The Standard reports that Tshabangu – perhaps realising Zanu PF will not prop him up this time – made overtures to Ncube about jointly managing the money, which were rejected out of hand.

One of the conditions was that the money would be deposited into the bank account registered by Tshabangu, and that Tshabangu would be a joint signatory with Ncube and the party’s interim treasurer.

Zanu PF won 137 parliamentary seats in the August 2023 general elections, with CCC picking up 73. With proportional representation, women’s quarter and youth quota seats, Zanu PF controlled 177 seats in the National Assembly to CCC’s 104.

CCC’s failure to wrest power from Zanu PF sparked internal bloodletting. Tshabangu, an ordinary member of the party, seized on its lack of clear structures and declared himself the party’s interim secretary general.

Tshabangu was immediately recognised by Zanu PF before embarking on a campaign to decimate the party, including recalling over 100 councillors, MPs and senators. Zanu PF won most of the by-elections occasioned by those recalls – but those results are not a factor in determining monies due to each party.

Tshabangu later made himself a senator for Matabeleland North and is recognised by parliament authorities as the leader of the opposition.