BULAWAYO – In a significant legal development, the High Court has reinstated Sengezo Tshabangu as Secretary General of the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC), overturning his recent expulsion from the opposition party.
Justice Mary Zimba Dube ruled that the disciplinary procedures used to expel Tshabangu were legally flawed and procedurally invalid, effectively nullifying the decision.
Tshabangu had been expelled earlier this year by a CCC disciplinary committee after he controversially altered parliamentary appointments without authorisation—actions that deepened divisions within the party, now under the leadership of Welshman Ncube.
The disciplinary committee that sanctioned his expulsion included Sesel Zvidzayi, Concillia Chinanzvavana, Gilbert Kagodora, and Shepherd Mushonga. In response, Tshabangu filed an urgent chamber application challenging the legitimacy of the process and the authority of those involved.
Justice Zimba Dube found that Ncube and his co-respondents had failed to present any valid legal basis to oppose Tshabangu’s application. The judge said the respondents could not prove they had the authority to file the opposing affidavit.
“Effectively, Welshman Ncube has failed to provide proof of written authority from the respondent to depose to the opposing affidavit and to show that he was duly authorised to depose to the opposing affidavit on behalf of the respondent,” the court ruled.
Due to these procedural lapses, the judge struck out the opposing affidavit, declaring the application unopposed.
Tshabangu further argued that the terms of office for the members of the disciplinary committee—elected on 26 May 2019—had expired as of 27 May 2024, thereby rendering their authority defunct. The court agreed with this argument.
“The entire disciplinary process constituting the Disciplinary Committee that sat at number 60A Hibiscus Road, Lochnivar, Southerton, Harare on 12 February 2025 to deliberate and decide on allegations of misconduct levelled by the fifth respondent against the applicant be and are hereby declared null and void and are set aside,” Justice Zimba Dube ruled.
The ruling is seen as a turning point in the CCC’s ongoing internal conflicts, with Tshabangu now legally reinstated as the party’s Secretary General.
Observers say the decision could further reshape the power dynamics within the CCC, which has grappled with factionalism and leadership disputes since its inception.
Source: NewZimbabwe
