Double Standards Exposed! Zanu-PF Bigwigs Accused of Sabotaging CCC with Biased Rulings in Tshabangu’s Explosive Recall Scandal!

Harare – The Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC), led by Welshman Ncube, has accused the Speaker of Parliament and the Senate President of exhibiting double standards in their handling of the ongoing recall saga involving Sengezo Tshabangu, the self-styled interim secretary general of the party.

Tshabangu, a controversial figure within the CCC due to the mass recalls he has unilaterally initiated since October 2023, has filed an interdict seeking to prevent any recall from the senate following his recent expulsion from the party for alleged indiscipline.

His dismissal paved the way for the CCC to recall the opposition senator. However, before the party could initiate the process, Tshabangu swiftly approached the courts to file an interdict, arguing that his sacking was orchestrated by a CCC disciplinary committee that was not properly constituted.

In his court application, Tshabangu listed the CCC, the CCC National Disciplinary Committee, the Speaker, and the President of the Senate as respondents.

In a surprising turn of events, parliament’s legal representatives indicated during a recent case management meeting before High Court judge Dube that they would not oppose Tshabangu’s court challenge, despite being named as co-respondents in the matter.

This development has sparked outrage within the CCC, with party spokesperson Willias Madzimure accusing the Speaker and the Senate President of blatant bias. Madzimure pointed out that the Zanu-PF officials had acted without hesitation on numerous previous recalls instigated by Tshabangu, even when the affected MPs had filed court challenges against their removal.

“At the case management meeting, the Speaker of Parliament’s lawyers indicated, for the first time in the history of recalls, that The Speaker and President of Senate would not oppose the application but instead would abide by whatever ruling the court will make,” Madzimure said.

He added, “It is worth noting that the Speaker has consistently opposed applications filed by CCC against Tshabangu in which applications he should have been taking the position that he would abide by the court rulings.”

The CCC views this as a clear indication of political interference and a deliberate attempt to undermine the opposition party. The party argues that the Speaker and the Senate President are applying different standards depending on who is initiating the recall, raising serious questions about the impartiality of parliament.

The case has further heightened tensions within the CCC, which has been grappling with internal divisions and leadership challenges in recent months. Tshabangu’s actions have been widely condemned by CCC members, who accuse him of working to destabilise the party and advance the interests of Zanu-PF.

The courts will deliver judgement on Tshabangu’s challenge on 17 March. The matter is scheduled to be argued among the parties before the Judge President on 13 March 2025.