In a surprising turn of events, Tafadzwa Manyika, who claims to be the interim Secretary General of Zanu PF, has written a letter to the Speaker of Parliament, Jacob Mudenda, calling for the recall of 70 ruling party MPs. Manyika alleges that these MPs have ceased to be members of the party.
The letter urges the Speaker to take action in accordance with the constitution and inform the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) about the 70 vacant positions.
This development comes after self proclaimed CCC ‘interim secretary-general’ Sengezo Tshabangu, who had previously recalled 15 Members of Parliament and 17 councillors from the Citizens Coalition for Change, was dismissed by Nelson Chamisa, the party’s leader, as an impostor.
Manyika’s letter states, “Kindly be advised that the following Members of the National Assembly were elected under Zimbabwe African National Union Patriotic Front (ZANU PF) political party, and have ceased to be members of the Zimbabwe African National Union Patriotic Front.”
Among the notable names listed for recall are Sithembiso Nyoni, the Minister of Industry, Owen Ncube, the Midlands provincial Minister, and Barbra Rwodzi, the Tourism Minister.
Interestingly, President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s son, David Kudakwashe, and nephew, Tongai, are also among those who have been recalled.
The letter concludes by urging the Speaker to take the necessary steps as per the relevant provisions of the Zimbabwean Constitution concerning members who are no longer affiliated with the political party under which they were elected.
It remains to be seen how this recall process will unfold and what implications it will have for the ruling party and the affected MPs.