Tshabangu's Beitbridge West Candidate Withdraws
Sengezo Tshabangu’s Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) candidate for Beitbridge West in the 09 December 2023 by-elections, Blessing Choeni, has withdrawn his candidature.
NewsDay reported that Choeni claimed that he was “not advised” when enlisted to participate in the by-elections.
Choeni is considered a political maverick after he abandoned ZANU PF to join the Freezim Congress of Zimbabwe and later attempted to return to ZANU PF.
A cross-border trader, Choeni reportedly left Joseph Busha’s Free Zim Congress after a fallout over some financial issues.
He left ZANU PF after unsuccessfully trying to unseat a long-time Beitbridge former councillor for Mtetengwe, Alderman Bhaureni Muleya.
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Morgan Ncube, who was recalled by Tshabangu in October, is now the only CCC candidate on the ballot in Beitbridge West while Thusani Ndou will represent ZANU PF.
Choeni told NewsDay that he is backing Ncube as he is the candidate supported by the party’s leader, Nelson Chamisa. He said:
I resigned because I didn’t want to split the votes for our CCC party. I am a follower of Chamisa and will not contest against a candidate approved by the party president.
Choeni, however, could not explain why he accepted Tshabangu’s request for him to register and present himself at the nomination court which sat in Gwanda.
Meanwhile, addressing mourners gathered in Mabvuku at the funeral wake of slain party activist Tapfumaneyi Masaya on Friday, Chamisa accused President Emmerson Mnangagwa of instigating the recall of CCC legislators and councillors by Tshabangu. He said:
This is not about Tshabangu. He is not the problem. The real creator is Mr Mnangagwa. He is the one who is at the centre of it.
Why? Because he would not have rushed to declare the elections when he knew that the recalls were a criminal act.
The recalls are criminal and fraudulent. We will fight the recalls and illegalities. Of course, the courts have their limitations but we will leave no stone unturned.
We are doing everything we can, politically, diplomatically and legally to make sure we exhaust all avenues. There is no need for by-elections to be held in this country.
In October 2023, Tshabangu declared himself CCC Interim Secretary General and successfully recalled 15 Members of Parliament and 17 Councillors.
Tshabangu recently recalled 13 CCC lawmakers from the National Assembly and 5 from the Senate. By-elections are set to be conducted in due course to replace the 8 MPs recalled from the National Assembly.
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