By Municipal Reporter-The Harare City Council, led by Mayor Jacob Mafume, has sparked public debate after announcing a sweeping renaming of key roads in the capital — a move that some say reflects growing political alignment with the ruling ZANU-PF party.
The council, now under the influence of the Sengezo Tshabangu-led faction of the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC), has renamed at least 18 major roads, replacing colonial and historic names with those of prominent local and international political figures, some closely associated with the liberation struggle and post-independence governance.
According to an official post by the City of Harare, the new names include:
- Charter Road → Fidel Castro Road
- Third Street → Patrice Lumumba Street
- Five Avenue → Leonid Brezhnev Street
- Speke Avenue → Agostinho Neto Avenue
- Angwa Street → Sir Seretse Khama Street
- Rezende Street → Julia Zvobgo Street
- Selous Avenue → John Landa Nkomo Avenue
- Cameron Street → Joseph Msika Street
- Baines Avenue → Herbert Ushewokunze Avenue
- Dieppe Road → Vitalis Zvinavashe Road
- Argyle Road → Sydney Malunga Road
- Lorraine Drive → Mama Mafuyana Drive
- Forth Street → Simon Vengai Muzenda Street
- Enterprise Road → ED Mnangagwa Road
- Kirkman Drive → Solomon Mujuru Drive
- Livingstone Avenue → Oliver Tambo Avenue
- Second Street → Sam Nujoma Street
- Innez Terrace → Mayor Urimbo Terrace
While the renaming of roads is not unusual in post-colonial Zimbabwe, the decision has drawn scrutiny due to its political overtones, especially in light of recent comments by Tshabangu suggesting the construction of a rotating statue of President Emmerson Mnangagwa at the newly commissioned Trabablas Interchange.
“Yes, I said that in recognition of President Mnangagwa’s good work on this massive Trabablas Interchange,” Tshabangu told journalists. “It’s good that a rotating statue that gives everyone an all-round view of the country be erected at the interchange. As the official opposition, we propose that.”
Tshabangu’s remarks have been widely condemned by opposition supporters and civil society actors, who see them as a clear departure from his mandate to hold the ruling party to account. Many observers interpreted the statement as a blatant act of political bootlicking, unbecoming of a self-declared opposition leader.
The call for a presidential monument, coupled with the naming of a major road after Mnangagwa — Enterprise Road is now ED Mnangagwa Road — has deepened suspicions that Tshabangu’s CCC faction is working in concert with ZANU-PF interests.
Political analyst Tawanda Moyo commented, “It’s no longer about symbolic gestures. This is about political realignment masquerading as civic recognition. Tshabangu’s actions suggest he’s abandoning the watchdog role of the opposition in favor of personal or factional gain.”
While infrastructure development such as the Trabablas Interchange is often praised across the political divide, critics argue that Tshabangu’s tone and timing are alarming, particularly as Zimbabwe faces mounting international criticism over repression, economic collapse, and the shrinking of democratic space.
For many, these developments reflect a broader crisis in opposition politics, where fragmentation, co-optation, and lack of principled leadership are undermining efforts to challenge authoritarian rule.
As of now, there has been no official government response to Tshabangu’s statue proposal. But the controversy continues to intensify, raising difficult questions about the independence, integrity, and future of opposition politics in Zimbabwe.