MDC-T leader Douglas Mwonzora says the recent Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) recalls initiated by Sengezo Tshabangu show that the main opposition party lacks corporate governance.
Mwonzora said Tshabangu’s actions are a call for the party to set up proper structures.
“It is very clear that there is an absence of corporate governance within the party,” he said. “I am aware that Tshabangu signed for other candidates in this election and people cannot say that they don’t know him.
“What Tshabangu is saying there is that let’s go back to corporate governance, let’s go back to a party with structures, with officials and not a party which is one man band, that is the logic not that there is something legal about it.”
Mwonzora claimed the CCC failed to submit its constitution to parliament which made it difficult for the Speaker of Parliament Jacob Mudenda to know who speaks for the party.
“But if there is nothing like that then the speaker cannot guess who in your party is qualified to correspond with him and in terms of the law, the speaker cannot seat in judgement to say this letter is coming from the CCC but I doubt whether Tshabangu has got a mandate, that is not the duty of the speaker,” he said.
Mwonzora also defended Mudenda’s action saying the speaker has no powers to intervene in political parties issues.
“The law is very clear and apparently this law was drafted in Bulawayo, actually in the Rainbow Hotel 5th floor and the people who drafted it were myself, Jacob Mudenda, Paul Mangwana, the late Magaisa, Edward Mukosi and some lawyer from Bulawayo, Josphat Tshuma, we drafted it and we removed the powers from the speaker to determine things that come from political parties,” said Mwonzora.
“What must happen is that recalls must be discussed at a political level and when they come to parliament, the parliament has absolutely no discretion. So, I can’t tell you whether Tshabangu has authority, but the most important thing is that there must be evidence that he has no authority and that evidence comes from a constitution”.
Mwonzora said Chamisa’s letter to the speaker of parliament was an afterthought.
“Tshabangu recalls did happen and people were removed from Parliament which means that Tshabangu has the power because he is the one who acted first. When it comes to these things it is the person who acts first who will get an advantage.”
