At the start of the hearing, Tshabangu raised concerns that he had not been provided with a copy of the charge sheet detailing the allegations against him, nor was he informed of the specific provisions of the party constitution under which the charges were brought.

In a statement issued through his spokesperson, Nqobizitha Mlilo, Tshabangu alleged that someone was remotely influencing the panel, preventing it from operating independently.

He further claimed the panel appeared to be taking instructions from an unidentified figure yet to be revealed. He said:

At every turn in the hearing, and when a ruling was to be made, the panel repeatedly made telephone calls to someone who gave instructions as to how the panel should rule on each point.

On this issue, Senator Tshabangu has given instructions to his Attorneys to subpoena the telephone records of the purported Disciplinary Committee members to establish the identity of the person the panel members repeatedly obtained instructions from.

Tshabangu claimed that the lines of communication for resolving what seemed like legitimate differences between the parties have now been irreparably broken, making reconciliation impossible.

He also pledged to bring order to CCC’s parliamentary and local government caucuses. Said Tshabangu:

In the next few moments, action will be taken in decisive terms to bring much-needed stability and cohesion to the party, more so, in the Party Parliamentary Caucus and Local Government Caucus.

The historic work which this 10th Parliament has to, and is about to take in the national interest requires the highest form of cohesion that no moment will lost in frivolity and trivialities.

The Parliamentary Caucus and the Local Government Caucuses, as the only remaining legally valid Article 6 party organs should work in the most efficient and effective manner possible. All tools will be deployed to ensure that this happens. Senator Tshabangu says there shall be discipline.

The general membership of the party is assured that stability will be restored, the needful done, and soon, there will be no unknown knowns.