Sengezo Tshabangu, claiming to be the opposition Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) Secretary General has filed an urgent chamber application seeking to block all recalled lawmakers from campaigning or contesting under the party’s name.
This comes barely a week after he recalled 13 more MPs and five senators.
In October, Tshabangu had recalled 15 lawmakers who will now be contesting for parliamentary seats in the upcoming December 9 by-elections after High Court judge Munamato Mutevedzi dismissed their appeal against their recall ruling that they were improperly before the court.
Tshabangu’s lawyer Lewis Uriri told journalists that his client’s latest move was the only logical step to follow after Mutevedzi’s ruling.
This was after parties briefly appeared in judges’ Chambers at the High Court.
“We can confirm that the application is being filed. You remember that these people were recalled by the CCC.
“They challenged their recall in the High Court and the court upheld the recalls.
“As a result, we know for a fact that they ceased to be members of parliament on account of their recall by CCC.
“They then proceeded to file their nomination papers under the CCC, the very same party that recalled them.
“The law knows no such absurdity. The party that recalled them did not sign their nomination papers and they were therefore improperly nominated and we will be seeking that they be expunged from the list of those that were validly nominated such that they will not be on the ballot paper,” said Uriri.
Sengezo Tshabangu
The court was also expected to sit and hear the matter in which CCC is challenging Tshabangu’s authority.
High Court judge Justice Tawanda Chitapi recently granted an interim order barring all further recalls of the opposition party’s senators, legislators and councillors until the hearing of the main matter.
The matter will now be heard this Tuesday after both parties failed to file their papers on time.
CCC is represented by Obey Shava. – NewZim
