The Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) has joined court proceedings in a case where Sengezo Tshabangu is demanding the removal of CCC legislators from contesting in Saturday’s by-elections. Tshabangu claims to be the interim secretary general of the CCC and had previously recalled 15 MPs, stating that they were no longer members of the party.
The recalled legislators filed an urgent court application, but it was dismissed by the High Court. The court ruled that the lawmakers failed to prove their membership in the CCC and also did not include the CCC as a respondent in their case. The legislators then filed an appeal, but it was struck off by the Supreme Court due to incorrect filing.
Tshabangu also filed another application arguing that the recalled legislators should not be allowed to file nomination papers for the by-election under the CCC, according to NewZimbabwe. The matter was supposed to be heard on Tuesday but was postponed to Wednesday after the CCC requested to be joined in the proceedings. Nqobani Sithole representing Tshabangu said:
The reason why this matter was not heard is because there is a party that also calls itself CCC which had asked for a joinder and was officially joined through a court order and will now be respondent number 25.
The bone of contention is the issue of double candidates. There are candidates who were expelled by the party who then went back to Zec and filed papers in the name of CCC.
The main issue in the case is the presence of double candidates. Some of the expelled members filed nomination papers under the CCC, the same party that had recalled them. Tshabangu’s other lawyer, Lewis Uriri, earlier argued:
You remember that these people were recalled by the CCC. They challenged their recall in the High Court and the court upheld the recalls.
As a result, we know for a fact that they ceased to be members of parliament on account of their recall by CCC. They then proceeded to file their nomination papers under the CCC, the very same party that recalled them.
The law knows no such absurdity. The party that recalled them did not sign their nomination papers and they were therefore improperly nominated and we will be seeking that they be expunged from the list of those that were validly nominated such that they will not be on the ballot paper.
The CCC’s involvement in the court case adds another layer of complexity to the already contentious situation. The outcome of the case will have implications for the by-elections and the legitimacy of the candidates involved. It remains to be seen how the court will rule and what impact it will have on the political landscape in Zimbabwe.