"It's Not Withdrawal Yet," Mahere Explains CCC Move In Parliament
Fadzayi Mahere, a Member of Parliament for Mt Pleasant representing the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC), clarified that the party has not withdrawn its members from Parliament but is rather disengaging from official activities in the house.
The CCC, led by Nelson Chamisa, made the decision due to a disputed election and ongoing recalls of its representatives. The Speaker of Parliament, Jacob Mudenda, acting on an instruction from Sengezo Tshabangu, expelled 15 CCC MPs, which led to protests from the party members.
In response to a resident’s question about the meaning of “disengage,” Mahere explained that it involves refraining from conducting official business in the House of Assembly, including parliamentary sittings and committee work. The party will continue to engage with constituents through other means. Mahere said:
Disengagement entails not transacting official business in the House of Assembly including parliamentary sittings and committee work. This has been necessitated by the fact that unless the illegal conduct of the Speaker is challenged strongly, there is a real risk that we will all be wrongfully recalled, thus compounding an already existing constitutional and governance crisis.
She said during a parliamentary session, the Speaker obstructed normal debate by disregarding constitutional arguments and points of order. When the MPs insisted on their position, armed riot police were called in to silence them, resulting in physical violence and injuries. Mahere added that the MPs were unlawfully removed from the House, violating parliamentary privilege.
She said in such a hostile and anti-constitutional environment, it becomes challenging to represent the people effectively. She said as the party president Chamisa stated, they will disengage from official House business for 14 days but continue engaging with constituents through community meetings, feedback sessions, and voter education initiatives. Specific details for the Mt Pleasant constituency will be announced soon. She added:
It’s not a withdrawal yet because we are not formally resigning from Parliament. The legal consequence of not withdrawing at this stage is that the seats can’t be declared vacant at this stage. The extreme measure of withdrawal/resignation will be considered as a last resort and communicated if taken and should the need arise.
The CCC party has given a 14-day deadline for the prompt reversal of recalls of its members. Failure to do so will result in political and diplomatic actions, including reaching out to organisations like the Southern African Development Community (SADC), the Pan-African Parliament (PAP), and the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU).
