Tshabangu recalls Harare Mayor Ian Makone and his ...

Tshabangu recalls Harare Mayor Ian Makone and his deputy Kudzai Kadzombe

Zim Now Writer

As Nelson Chamisa continues to lose control of the Citizens Coalition for Change, Sengezo Tshabangu – who has claimed to be the interim secretary-general of the opposition outfit – has once again written to Local Government, Public Works and National Housing Minister Winston Chitando, recalling Harare Mayor Ian Makone and his deputy, Kudzai Kadzombe among other councillors.

In a letter to Chtando, Tshabangu said the councillors had ceased to be members of the CCC.

“Kindly be advised that the following Councillors were under Citizens Coalition for Change political party, and have ceased to be members of the Citizens Coalition for Change,” reads part of the letter.

Also recalled, along with Makone and Kadzombe are ward 16 councillor, Denford Ngadziore, Lovejoy Chitegu (ward36), Samuel Gwenzi (ward 5) as well as [proportional representation councilors, Chido Hamauswa, Sabina Tiriboyi, Florence Cheza and Fadzai Matimba.

Tshabangu successfully recalled 15 legislators from the National Assembly along with several senators and councilors with the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission having already scheduled by-elections on December 9 in the over a dozen mainly Bulawayo constituencies.

The recalled legislators filed their papers for that by-election with the Nomination Court on Tuesday, despite Chamisa having said his party would not participate in the polls.

Another set of candidates for the December by-election, who are believed to be loyal to Tshabangu, also filed papers with the Nomination Court, implying the CCC will once again have double candidates in the by-election.

Tshabangu has threatened to approach the courts seeking to disqualify all the recalled legislators and councillors.

“We are making an urgent chamber application in the High Court to have those nominations nullified,” Tshabangu vowed in an interview yesterday.

“The court made a determination over the weekend, in essence confirming that the recalls were in order hence we don’t see how they had their papers accepted by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission.

“Our position is clear, ZEC should never have accepted nomination papers of recalled persons,” said Tshabangu.

“We would not have had any issues had these former members filed as independents, it’s their right anyway but they have no right to use our party name and symbol,” Tshabangu said.

Political analysts have argued that the CCC has effectively split given that the opposition party fielded double candidates in all contested seats, mainly in Bulawayo, Matabeleland North and South as well as Harare and Masvingo provinces.