IN a dramatic turn of events, members of the Zimbabwe Republic Police were summoned to the Parliament building in Harare today to remove opposition MPs affiliated with the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC). Chaos erupted after Speaker Advocate Jacob Mudenda announced that 15 lawmakers had been recalled by the party’s ‘Interim Secretary General,’ Sengezo Tshabangu, leading to a vocal protest by the affected members.
The scene unfolded as Speaker Mudenda addressed the parliamentary session, attempting to notify the assembly of the CCC’s decision to recall 15 of its own members. The recall had been attributed to internal party disputes and disagreements over political loyalties.
As the Speaker made the announcement, CCC MPs erupted into a cacophony of protest, shouting slogans and disrupting the proceedings. Their collective objection was evident, and they vehemently challenged the legitimacy of the recalls, accusing Sengezo Tshabangu of acting unilaterally without proper party consensus.
In response to the escalating turmoil within the parliamentary chamber, Speaker Mudenda swiftly called upon the Zimbabwe Republic Police to intervene and restore order. Law enforcement officers were deployed to escort the protesting MPs from the session.
Amid the commotion, some MPs could be seen physically resisting the efforts of the police, resulting in a tense standoff. The situation was further exacerbated by the chorus of condemnation from various opposition leaders and human rights groups, who accused the government of stifling democracy and undermining the rights of elected representatives.
Sengezo Tshabangu, the CCC’s ‘Interim Secretary General,’ defended the decision to recall the lawmakers, asserting that it was in the best interest of the party.
He said he was targeting criminals around party leader Nelson Chamisa.
Watch the videos below:
#HappeningNow Police have redoubled their efforts to evict CCC MPs from parliament after calling reinforcements from the anti-riot division. Tactics have changed too, MPs now being forcefully dragged out pic.twitter.com/hK58gSzy4i
— ZimLive (@zimlive) October 10, 2023
#HappeningNow Police have redoubled their efforts to evict CCC MPs from parliament after calling reinforcements from the anti-riot division. Tactics have changed too, MPs now being forcefully dragged out pic.twitter.com/hK58gSzy4i
— ZimLive (@zimlive) October 10, 2023
Source: Bulwayo24
