By Staff Reporter
President Emmerson Mnangagwa has appointed Brilliant Dube as one of ten new senators . The appointment, made under the newly enacted Constitutional Amendment Act Number 3 (CAA3), is staggering given Ms. Dube’s deep-rooted history in the opposition, where she was a key figure in Nelson Chamisa’s election machinery .
Ms. Dube previously served as Nelson Chamisa’s chief of staff during the 2018 elections and was entrusted with paying election agents in Mashonaland East for the 2023 polls funds she reportedly never disbursed.
Her recent affiliation with Tendai Biti’s Constitution Defenders Forum (CDF), a civic organisation vocally opposing the government’s 2030 agenda, makes her sudden ascension to the ruling party’s senatorial bench all the more startling.
President Mnangagwa, who has the power under CAA3 to directly select senators based on “professional skills and other competencies,” named Dube alongside prominent figures including businessman Kudakwashe Tagwirei.
Opposition politician Gift “Ostallos” Siziba says Brilliant Dube’s appointment to the Senate proves infiltration is a serious challenge facing opposition movements, stressing that while it cannot always be prevented, strong movements must develop systems to identify, vet and counter it, ensure information is properly verified before decisions are made, invest in intelligence, counter-intelligence, institutional security and robust verification systems, and treat this case as a valuable lesson to learn, strengthen institutions and become wiser in how they organize.
Siziba, a former Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) deputy spokesperson and Member of Parliament for Tshabalala-Pelandaba , acknowledged infiltration is “an unavoidable reality” in “Securocratic states,” adding this is “not about paranoia” but about building resilient institutions capable of protecting themselves from manipulation. His comments follow President Mnangagwa’s appointment of Dube as one of 10 additional senators
Former Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) leader Nelson Chamisa stated that the Senate appointment of his former aide, Brilliant Dube, fully vindicates his decision to exit the party.
“The cat is now out of the bag.” He argued that Dube’s sudden ascension to the ZANU-PF-controlled Senate proves his long-standing claims that the CCC had been deeply infiltrated and hijacked by state agents prior to his January 2024 resignation,” he said.
He claimed that many people were too slow to realize the government’s strategy. He alleged that the ultimate goal was always to manipulate the Constitution and use state machinery to illegally extend an illegitimate presidential term.
