Self-proclaimed Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) interim secretary general, Sengezo Tshabangu, has vowed to take legal action to have recalled legislators and councillors barred from participating in the 09 December by-elections.
All CCC candidates who were recalled last month filed nomination papers for re-election on Tuesday in defiance of Tshabangu who initiated their expulsion from Parliament.
Tshabangu also fielded his own candidates under the CCC banner. He however, did not field a candidate in Mabvuku-Tafara where President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s close ally, Pedzisai “Scott” Sakupwanya is a candidate.
This has led to speculation that Tshabangu wants Munyaradzi Kufahakutizwi, whom he recalled, to be disqualified so that Sakupwanya wins the seat at a canter.
Speaking in an interview with the Chronicle on Wednesday, 08 November, Tshabangu said that he will approach the courts to have the recalled members disqualified from contesting in the by-elections. He said:
We are making an urgent chamber application in the High Court to have those nominations nullified.
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.
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.
However, in the run-up to the 23 August Harmonised Elections, the courts did not grant an application by CCC to have double candidates disqualified and as a result, several constituencies had double CCC candidates.
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