The recall of 15 Members of Parliament from the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) illustrates that Zimbabwe’s opposition is under attack, with recalls now used to weaken the party as part of ongoing efforts to undermine opposition institutions, analysts have said.
Analysts noted the ‘swiftness’ of the Speaker of Parliament, Jacob Mudenda, in removing opposition legislators indicates that recalls are now a tool to punish CCC, as evidenced by recalls of elected officials in the previous Parliament when the CCC, then known as the MDC Alliance, was embroiled in a vicious battle with the MDC-T led by Douglas Mwonzora.
In 2020, Mwonzora recalled dozens of elected MPs and councillors, accusing them of supporting Chamisa, resulting in vacant seats in various parliamentary and council seats around Zimbabwe.
This left the electorate disenfranchised and underrepresented because the government failed to hold by-elections within the constitutionally mandated 90-day time frame citing the Covid-19 lockdown order, only holding them on March 26, 2022, and later on that year.
The fresh recall of the 15 MPs by Sengezo Tshabangu, who claims to be CCC’s interim secretary general comes less than a month after the First Session of the Tenth Parliament was officially opened.
Despite CCC leader Nelson Chamisa’s request to the Speaker of Parliament, to dismiss Tshabangu and that they had filed criminal charges against him, the Speaker went ahead and expelled the 15 MPs.
Mudenda has already informed the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) about the vacancies in Parliament.
“The political circus in Zimbabwe is always made complicated by Zanu PF meddling in opposition structures,” said Emmanuel Sibanda, a political analyst.
“In the last parliamentary session, Mwonzora’s recalls destroyed the political landscape and right now Tshabangu is also working with the same system to destroy the CCC party.”
Sibanda claimed Zanu PF “was embarrassed in the elections” after failing to achieve a two-thirds majority while the double candidates that Tshabangu introduced “were equally destroyed.”
“Zimbabwe politics is unfortunately dominated by greed ahead of reason. Where was Tshabangu all along during the elections campaigns, when the party was almost barred from participating in Bulawayo when the party was robbed in the just ended elections?” asked the analyst.
“Why was he quiet as the Secretary-General when all these developments took place including the harassment of Mkhwananzi and councillors and MPs who have been arrested on trumped-up charges?”
Sibanda said if Tshabangu was the CCC Secretary General, “he should have been the face of everything but now surfaces when it’s time to destroy the hard work of the citizens.”
“As a responsible citizen, Tshabangu should not be fighting the people of Zimbabwe unless his hand has been used to destroy the lives of millions whilst a handful of people enjoy,” he said.
Sibanda added that in a country like Zimbabwe where money is the root of all chaos, the current ‘invisible’ CCC structure was ideal until the party assumed power.
“The fact that the party base at MDC was compromised several times made it necessary to hold power and decision making delicately in one person. People are hungry outside there and Zanu PF knows it can do anything to get people to sabotage the citizens’ dream,” he said.
Another political analyst, Bernard Magugu said although CCC faces an ongoing political battle against Zanu PF, the lack of party structures also raises concerns over internal politics.
He questioned where Tshabangu received the powers to recall elected officials.
“One has to be empowered either by party members or the constitution. As far as I know, CCC has no structure and its only Chamisa who is known to be the authentic man in the structure – he is the president. Who is Sengezo Tshabangu? Who is he in the CCC? Where is he coming from?” Magugu said.
Magugu claimed the swiftness by the Speaker without consulting the CCC leader shows Tshabangu is working “hand in glove with him.”
“What a shame! It means somewhere, somehow CCC is being perforated by its enemies using technicalities and now that CCC doesn’t have visible upper structures, the enemies have finally found a weakness in this ‘invisible structure’ strategy and want to push CCC to end up disclosing their structures,” he added.
“Otherwise, why have elections if a few weeks down the line, elected officials are recalled? CCC should now come out and play real politics and hit back strongly! They should start by dealing with Tshabangu decisively, then the handler will come out!”
CCC had scheduled a press conference for Wednesday but postponed it.
However, its national spokesperson Promise Mkhwananzi stated the regime in Zimbabwe is so disdainful of the people’s will.
“The regime has decided to further aggravate its illegitimacy by unlawfully recalling CCC elected officials using a bogus letter written and deployed by Tshabangu, a stooge to many faces that are yet to come to the open,” he said.
Mkhananzi claimed CCC has drawn a line in the sand and will “stand up to defend their dignity.”
“Such a time has come. Otherwise, there would be no point in voting only for the regime to willfully and woefully remove elected officials,” he said.
“We also warn those among us who are working with Zanu PF to destroy the people’s movement. God will punish you, the people are hurting, and the struggle has been long and painful. Your day reckoning shall come. We know you. We shall name and shame you!”
