BULAWAYO – Sengezo Tshabangu, the ‘interim secretary general’ of the CCC, has declared his intention to initiate more recalls of opposition legislators who follow the party’s directive to abstain from parliamentary proceedings beyond the six-sitting ban imposed by the National Assembly speaker, Jacob Mudenda, on Tuesday. This ban was a consequence of their resistance to Mudenda’s orders to expelled MPs to vacate the house.
Tshabangu also issued a warning about potential additional recalls of party-affiliated councillors in local authorities.
Earlier this month, Tshabangu caused a stir by boldly writing to parliament, instructing the recall of 24 CCC MPs and 17 councillors, claiming they were no longer members of the main opposition party. Parliament subsequently expelled these MPs despite CCC’s call to disregard the directive.
The recall order led to chaotic scenes in parliament on Tuesday when anti-riot police were brought in to remove around a hundred opposition lawmakers who were refusing to leave in compliance with Mudenda’s orders.
In response to these expulsions, CCC leader Nelson Chamisa withdrew all party representatives from both parliament and local councils and issued an ultimatum for the reversal of their sudden removal. He also hinted at a complete withdrawal from parliamentary and local authorities if his party’s demands were not met.
However, Tshabangu remained defiant, threatening further recalls of legislators. He insisted, “All CCC councillors must promptly report for duty and be ready to serve the people without exception, except in cases necessitating verifiable medical attention or compassionate leave. Once this suspension has been served, all CCC Members of the National Assembly and Senators must attend all parliamentary activities and sessions without fail.”
He went on to state, “Any CCC member of the National Assembly or CCC Senator who fails to adhere to the above will be recalled without delay and redeployed from parliament or their local authority.”
CCC has consistently claimed that Tshabangu is a fraudulent figure and accuses the ruling Zanu-PF party of sponsoring his actions. Nelson Chamisa, who founded CCC following a bitter leadership dispute that divided the MDC Alliance in 2020, attributes these ongoing attempts to sow division within his party to “the enemy.”
Source – zimlive
