Opposition leader Nelson Chamisa has announced that his party, the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC), will temporarily withdraw from council and parliamentary activities in protest against the recall of their 15 MPs and 17 councillors from the Matabeleland region.
Chamisa has given the government a 14-day ultimatum to address the “illegal” recalls, threatening a complete withdrawal from Parliament and local government if the issue remains unresolved.
The CCC has also reached out to the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and ZANU PF for urgent intervention in the electoral dispute.
The recalls were initiated by Sengezo Tshabangu, who claims to be the CCC’s interim secretary-general and accuses the recalled MPs and councillors of no longer being party members. However, Chamisa and the CCC have denounced Tshabangu as an impostor and a ZANU PF proxy. The recalled MPs have taken the matter to the High Court seeking redress.
In response to the recalls, CCC MPs boycotted the National Assembly sittings, showing solidarity with their colleagues. Earlier, during a protest against the Speaker’s decision to uphold Tshabangu’s recall bid, the CCC legislators were ejected from Parliament. Speaker Jacob Mudenda also banned the CCC MPs from attending the next six sittings and docked their allowances for failing to attend President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s state of the nation address.
Chamisa expressed concern about the targeted removal of MPs from Matabeleland, the majority of whom were recalled. He emphasized the need for political dialogue to address the legitimacy concerns arising from disputed elections. The CCC has approached ZANU PF and other relevant stakeholders to initiate dialogue for a resolution.
ZANU PF acting director for Information, Farai Marapira, stated that they had not received any correspondence regarding dialogue but affirmed the party’s openness to engage in genuine and sincere discussions. Marapira regarded the CCC’s activities as autonomous as long as they remained within the bounds of the law and expressed ZANU PF’s commitment to President Mnangagwa’s vision for a better Zimbabwe.
The Zimbabwe Democracy Institute (ZDI) urged the CCC to exert pressure on ZANU PF, urging them not to be intimidated and to avoid accepting any offers or inducements from the ruling party. The ZDI report also highlighted the need for the opposition to address internal issues that have undermined its credibility and cohesion while seeking regional and international support.
The ZDI report further claimed that President Mnangagwa intended to secure a third term by using the recalls to achieve a two-thirds majority in Parliament, allowing for constitutional changes.
Exiled former ZANU PF politburo member Jonathan Moyo criticized the CCC’s disengagement as a strategic blunder, suggesting that it was an ineffective response to the recent recalls and would only shortchange and defraud the electorate.
