Tshabangu-Led CCC Faction Rejects Purported Recalls
By Southerton Business Times Reporter, Harare
A faction of the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) led by self-declared interim secretary-general Sengezo Tshabangu has rejected letters purporting to recall five public representatives, describing the correspondence as lacking factual, political and legal grounds.
In a statement issued on Friday, October 9, the faction’s interim national spokesperson, Nqobizitha Mlilo, said the letters did not represent the party’s position and accused unnamed individuals of attempting to destabilise the opposition movement.
The correspondence, dated October 7 and reportedly stamped as received on Friday, was addressed to National Assembly Speaker Jacob Mudenda, Senate President Mabel Chinomona and Local Government and Public Works Minister Daniel Garwe. The letters claim that five CCC representatives have ceased to be party members, potentially triggering the process for their removal from elected office.
Those named are Bulawayo Mayor David Coltart, who is also the councillor for Ward 4; Bulawayo Central legislator Surrender Kapoikilu; Mbizo MP Corban Madzivanyika; Epworth North MP Togarepi Zivai Mhetu; and Bulawayo Senator Kucaca Ivumile Phulu. Mlilo dismissed the purported recalls and assured the affected representatives that their positions remained secure, saying their tenure should continue until at least 2030.
“The purported recalls have no factual, political, or legal basis. They do not represent the position of the Citizens Coalition for Change,” Mlilo said. He added that the faction’s current priorities were party reconstruction, institutional renewal and structural consolidation. According to Mlilo, recalls were not a preferred political tool for the leadership, which he said was committed to consensus-building, cohesion and stability.
Legal action being considered
The faction also alleged that certain individuals were behind the correspondence and claimed they intended to use recalls to pressure elected representatives into declaring allegiance. Mlilo said preliminary internal investigations had identified individuals allegedly connected to the letters, although the statement did not name them or provide evidence supporting the allegations.
He further warned that the conduct could amount to contempt of court, adding that the party’s legal counsel had been briefed to advise on the appropriate response. “The conduct of these individuals may amount to contempt of Court,” he said, adding that legal advice would guide the party’s political and administrative measures. The allegations have not been independently established in the information provided, and the individuals implicated by the faction have not been identified in the statement.
Recall dispute raises questions
The dispute comes against the backdrop of prolonged divisions within the CCC over its leadership and the authority to make decisions on behalf of the party. The legal implications of the latest correspondence depend on matters including who issued the letters, whether the signatories have the requisite authority and whether the applicable constitutional and legal requirements for recalling elected representatives have been met.
The rejection by Tshabangu’s faction does not, by itself, establish the legal status of the letters or determine the future of the affected representatives’ seats. Mlilo urged the named representatives to continue carrying out their constitutional responsibilities, insisting that the faction would not be diverted from its stated focus on governance and party rebuilding. The Speaker of the National Assembly, Senate President, Local Government Minister and the five named representatives were not quoted in the supplied statement.
Their responses, together with confirmation of the letters’ authenticity and the relevant legal position, would help clarify the status of the purported recalls. For now, the faction maintains that the correspondence does not reflect its position and says it is considering its legal options.
CCC faction rejects recall letters
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