Mnangagwa calls by-elections for recalled CCC MPs as rift in Chamisa’s party deepens

By News 24

• There will be by-elections in 14 constituencies on 9 December after clandestine opposition recalls.
• The Citizens Coalition for Change says the recalls are part of Zanu-PF’s grand scheme of destroying it.
• A renegade CCC self-styled secretary-general says more recalls are on the way.

HARARE: President, Emmerson Mnangagwa, proclaimed 9 December as the by-election date for constituencies where opposition legislators were recalled.

Vacancies were created when a self-imposed secretary-general of the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC), Sengezo Tshabangu, wrote to the clerk of Parliament, announcing that he had recalled 14 legislators – drawn from Matabeleland South, Matabeleland North, and Bulawayo.

In a government gazette, Mnangagwa said the nomination court would sit on 7 November.

The president went ahead despite the CCC disputing that Tshabangu was its secretary-general or even held a post in the party.

CCC leader Nelson Chamisa said the move by Tshabangu was a Zanu-PF tactic to clandestinely have a two-thirds majority in Parliament.

CCC deputy spokesperson Ostallos Siziba said the proclamation by the president was part of his grand plan to destroy the opposition.

READ | Zimbabwe’s main opposition implodes as renegade recalls lawmakers, handing Zanu PF full control

CCC rift deepens

“The proclamation for by-elections for disputed and fake vacancies created by Zanu-PF through proxies has all but shown Mnangagwa’s hand and intention to destroy and decimate the authentic opposition after he was defeated in the just-ended election. The Citizens movement will not accept this,” he said.

But Tshabangu told News24 that they welcomed the proclamation by Mnangagwa – and, as CCC, they would have candidates who had initially passed the party’s primary selection process.

“We already have candidates that will fill those positions and those people who initially earned the berths to represent CCC ahead of those we recalled. We recalled them because they were imposed on the electorate,” he said.

Because Tshabangu is recognised by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission as the man in charge of CCC, the recalled candidates, if they intend to stand for re-election, will have to find an alternative name for their party.

Tshabangu added that more recalls would be done, setting the stage for by-elections again.

“There’s a clarion call from the citizens nationwide, who say that the imposition of candidates was not only in Bulawayo and Matabeleland. As such, we will do relevant recalls as time goes,” he added.