The self-appointed Secretary General of the opposition Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC), Sengezo Tshabangu, has issued a recall of Kwekwe Mayor Henry Madzorera, Deputy Mayor Melody Chingarande, and another councillor, Simon Machisvo.
This move comes in the wake of recent recalls of 13 CCC Members of Parliament and five senators, which were temporarily halted by a High Court interdict preventing further expulsions of elected opposition members.
Sengezo Tshabangu, whom the CCC has labelled an impostor collaborating with the ruling Zanu PF party, has consistently cited the reason that the axed councillors are no longer members of the opposition in his recall letters.
Acting Local Government Minister Daniel Garwe, in a letter addressed to the office of the Kwekwe City Town Clerk on November 13, acknowledged receipt of a letter from the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC), stating that the aforementioned councillors had ceased to be members of the political party.
The letter further indicated that these recalls were being made in accordance with section 278 (1) of the country’s constitution, specifically section (1) (k), and as a result, the affected wards were now considered vacant. The Electoral Act’s Section 121 was also referenced, urging the Kwekwe City Town Clerk to inform the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission about these vacancies.
The ongoing internal power struggle within the CCC has created significant turmoil and uncertainty, as party members and leaders are divided over the legitimacy of the self-appointed Secretary General and the recalls being carried out. The High Court’s intervention temporarily halted the expulsion of opposition MPs and senators, but the situation remains fluid as the CCC continues to grapple with internal conflicts.
As the political landscape evolves, attention will now turn to the response of the recalled Kwekwe Mayor, Deputy Mayor, and councillor, as well as the potential impact on the local government and representation in the city. The recalls highlight the challenges faced by opposition parties in Zimbabwe, as they navigate through internal divisions and external pressures in the country’s dynamic political environment.
