In a new twist to the CCC MPs recall fiasco, the Speaker of Parliament Jacob Mudenda has written to the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission, informing the electoral management body of vacancies in the House of Assembly basing on a letter written by one Sengezo Tshabangu, who called himself the interim CCC Secretary General and wrote to Mudenda, advising him of a recall of 15 newly elected CCC MPs, who he said have ceased to be members of the main opposition party.
The letters by Mudenda, seem to have been written on the 6th of October as they bear Parliament’s stamp dated 6 October 2023. The letters also bear a ZEC stamp, dated 9 October 2023.
“I hereby notify you, in terms of section 39 (1) of the Electoral Act [Chapter 2:13], that a vacancy now exists in the membership of Parliament for Lobengula-Magwegwe Constituency, having ceased to belong to the Citizens Coalition For Change on 4 October 2023.”-reads one of Mudenda’s letters.
Earlier in the day Nelson Chamisa had written to Mudenda, imploring him to ignore Tshabangu’s letter, stating that the latter was not a member of the party and thus his letter was fraudulent. He went further and said his office was the only one to correspond with, regarding the members of parliament.
“I have had sight of a letter dated 3rd October 2023 circulating on Social Media and reported by the news media addressed to the Speaker of Parliament from one Sengezo Tshabangu purporting to be the Interim Secretary General of the CCC and purporting to recall several members of our political party from the Parliament.
“1. There have not been any changes to the communication protocols outlined in our letter dated 11 September 2023. Changes, if any, will be communicated from this office.
“2. Sengezo Tshabangu is not a member of CCC and as such cannot provide, avail, or adduce evide/nce of any such membership as his name does not appear on any of CCC street or village registers of any district, in ant province, as administered by the CCC Bureau of Organizing.
“3. In the CCC we have no such positions Secretary General or Interim Secretary General as alleged by Tshabangu.
“4. As at the present date, none of the members of Parliament who were elected under the Citizens Coalition from Change have been expelled from the party I lead or recalled from the National Assembly, or for that matter, from any elected position in the senate or any Local Council.
“Hon Speaker, the conduct of Mr Tshabangu is a fact of wanton violation of our laws and a clear at of criminality. As such, criminal charges have been filed against him. Therefore , please kindly disregard the letter in question or any other correspondence from any other person purporting to represent the Citizens Coalition for Change.”- reads Chamisa’s letter.
