Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) factions are plotting more recalls of legislators in political manoeuvring that has been linked to a controversial push by Zanu PF to extend President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s final term in office by two years.
The first plot,
which has been attributed to Zanu PF, will see a Bulawayo-based ally of
self-imposed CCC interim secretary general Sengezo Tshabangu (name withheld)
initiating the recalls of opposition legislators that are seen as a potential
stumbling blocks to the moves to extend Mnangagwa’s term to 2030.
Sources
familiar with the plot said Tshabangu’s handlers wanted to use a different
person to sanitise the process.
“The feeling is
that Tshabangu is now too compromised as a Zanu PF proxy, hence the idea to
engage another CCC official to initiate the recalls,” one of the sources said.
There are three
CCC factions led by Tshabangu, Welshman Ncube and Jameson Timba.
The three CCC
leaders are embroiled in a battle to control the party, with the Timba faction
having a pending case at the High Court seeking to nullify Tshabangu's post as
secretary general of the party.
The second plot
will see the Timba faction moving to recall some CCC legislators aligned to
Ncube before pushing for a massive campaign to win by-elections and initiate a
process to impeach Mnangagwa.
The Timba
faction is linked to Chamisa.
“There is
confidence that with Chamisa’s public support, the Timba faction will win the
by-elections, after which the MPs’ will add onto the numbers of legislators in
Chamisa’s camp and then move a motion to impeach Mnangagwa,” another source
said.
Timba confirmed
the planned recalls in an interview with The Standard.
He insisted
that his party was the legitimate CCC that sponsored all the sitting CCC MPs in
Parliament.
“Any MPs
purporting to be following Welshman will unlawfully be floor crossing and face
a recall from the party that sponsored them in August 2023 under Chamisa,”
Timba said.
“Those
following Tshabangu will suffer the same fate when the trial is concluded and
documentary evidence is put before the court that Tshabangu was never an
interim secretary general of anything, and as such, any of his actions are
avoidable.
“Not that it
will surprise anyone, including kindergarten children. It is the tragedy of our
time.”
Ncube’s
spokesperson, Willias Madzimure, cast doubt on Timba’s CCC's success in
recalling MPs from Parliament.
“The CCC has no
factions, but is a single party that is led by Welshman Ncube,” Madzimure said.
“They just want
to threaten MPS, just like what Tshabangu did.
“Both Tshabangu
and Timba know that they are not legitimate.
“But the key
question is, will the Speaker even read the letter from Timba about recalls?”
He added: “The
legislators aligned with their so-called faction resigned from Parliament.
“All those who
remained defied their leader and chose to align themselves with Welshman
Ncube.” Standard
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