The Speaker of Parliament, Jacob Mudenda, has notified the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission about 15 vacant seats in the legislative body. This action follows Sengezo Tshabangu‘s letter, claiming to be the interim Secretary-General of the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC), in which he recalled several CCC MPs.
The announcement of vacant seats indicates that Mudenda has disregarded CCC leader Nelson Chamisa‘s plea for Mudenda not to act based on Tshabangu’s instruction. Tshabangu, a former member of the MDC-T and People’s Democratic Party (PDP), controversially declared himself the secretary-general of the CCC and initiated the recall of the party’s members holding those seats.
In letters to the Chief Elections Officer Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC), Mudenda said the following individuals ceased to belong to the Citizens Coalition for Change on 04 October 2023:
- Pashor Raphael Sibanda (Cowdray Park)
- Ereck Gono (Lobengula-Magwegwe)
- Nicola Jane Watson (Bulawayo South)
- Desmond Makaza (Mpopoma-Mzilikazi)
- Obert Manduna (Nketa)
- Mlilo Sitabile (Proportional Representation)
- Jasmine Toffa (Proportional Representation)
- Janeth Dube (Proportional Representation)
- Evidence Zana (Youth Quota)
- Morgan Ncube (Beitbridge West)
- Nomathemba Sibanda (Proportional Representation)
- Velisiwe Nkomo (Proportional Representation)
- Prince Dubeko Sibanda (Binga North)
- Bright Moyo Vanya (Lupane East)
- Febion Munyaradzi Kufahakutizwi (Mabvuku Tafara)
Letters sent to ZEC Elections Officer Utloile Silaigwana read:
RE: NOTIFICATION OF A VACANCY IN THE MEMBERSHIP OF PARLIAMENT
1 hereby notify you, in terms of section 39 (1) of the Electoral Act [Chapter 2:131, that a vacancy now exists in the membership of Parliament, by reason of (name of recalled MP), who was the elected Member of Parliament for (name of constituency) Constituency, having ceased to belong to the Citizens Coalition for Change on 04 October 2023.
HON. ADVOCATE J. F. N. MUDENDA SPEAKER OF PARLIAMENT
- Download: CCC MPS Recalled
The development could lead to major changes in Zimbabwe’s political landscape, and there are concerns about the future of the CCC and its influence in the country.