IN what has been described as the greatest betrayal of the electorate, a clique of opposition Citizens' Coalition for Change (CCC) lawmakers this Sunday attended a field tour of President Emmerson Mnangagwa's farm, where they openly chanted Zanu PF slogans and endorsed the octogenarian's bid to extend his stay in office beyond 2028.
Led by self-styled CCC interim secretary general Sengezo Tshabangu, a Senator, the sizeable number of Members of Parliament (MPs) travelled to Mnangagwa's Precabe farm situated on the outskirts of Kwekwe, Midlands province.
Notable CCC faction members in attendance included, Thokozani Khupe, Kucaca Phulu, Juliana Makuvire, Nonhlanhla Mhlotswa, Charles Moyo, Bridget Nyandoro, Samantha Mureyanj, Otillia Sibanda, Lillian Sibanda and Constance Chiota.
Speaking during the event, Tshabangu rubber-stamped Mnangagwa's bid to remain in office beyond his constitutionally permissible two terms, which end in 2028. The 2030 agenda, now dubbed "Resolution #1" will come through constitutional amendments to defer 2028 polls to 2030, thereby automatically extending the MPs' tenure.
"If our presence here improves your stay in power and makes the people of Zimbabwe happy, then let it be," Tshabangu said, amid deafening applause from Zanu PF legislators and members of his 'sellout' CCC faction.
Parliament of Zimbabwe said the field tour of the 82-year-old Zanu leader's property was the first time that all MPs gathered for a familiarisation tour in a show of political and democratic maturity in the country's politics.
Former CCC MP, Fadzayi Mahere took aim at Tshabangu describing his actions as a "mockery" to democracy.
Writing on social media, Mahere said, "This is no longer Parliament. It's a crime scene... Mahumbwe chaiwo (a joke). We need new leaders."
"This is the biggest scandal in the history of Zimbabwean politics. It makes a mockery of the effort that sincere opposition politicians made to run in the last elections and it's a slap in the face to the electorate that made their will known."
Mahere decried the farce that has become Parliament composed of opposition lawmakers captured by Mnangagwa and his cabal.
"They have no idea what their constitutional role is. A sheer waste of taxpayer money. In the end, we will only have one lawmaker, if we aren't there already. They are in the guy's pocket and it's a shame."
The Sunday event was supposedly a parliamentary tour to familiarise legislators with the Mnangagwa family's farming operations but turned out to be a political gathering to endorse Mnangagwa's 2030 agenda, which another faction of his party loyal to Vice President Constantino Chiwenga is strongly opposed to. Chiwenga and his co-deputy president Kembo Mohadi were not present at the controversial event.
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Tshabangu defended CCC legislators who toured Mnangagwa's farm, labelling them as progressive and walking steps toward national unity amid the country's politically polarized environment.
"In the midst of our toxic and often polarizing political environment, our attendance here demonstrates the indivisibility of Zimbabwe," he said.
Self-exiled former Cabinet minister Saviour Kasukuwere, who at one time served as the Zanu PF national political commissar, said the Precabe farm meet-up was "rubbish."
"Let him call for a referendum on this rubbish. We will land in Harare and defeat this satanic arrangement. We have enough forces to defeat this nonsense.
"These are desperate acts of criminals who think they can hoodwink the masses of our people," said Kasukuwere.
"The structures from Zambezi to Limpopo are more than ready to retire these criminals before the end of 2025.
We have to sack these cheats as a matter of urgency. Zimbabweans unite and send these criminals packing. Enough Is Enough," he added.
Opposition political activist, Job Sikhala said legislators who went to Mnangagwa's joint had aligned themselves with the oppressor.
"From the day you visit Precabe Farm, pretending to be opposition must be the day you must know that we will treat you the way we treat Zanu PF. You are the enemy of the people, and you must be treated as such!!!"
