Opposition Citizens' Coalition for Change (CCC) leader, Nelson Chamisa, has written to Parliament to thwart attempts by Sengezo Tshabangu masquerading as the political formation's secretary general from recalling National Assembly and Senate representatives.
Tshabangu, who purports to be CCC interim secretary general (SG), last week made headlines after he wrote a petition to Speaker of Parliament, Jacob Mudenda, seeking to recall 15 named MPs elected in August alleging they had ceased to be members of the party, and should therefore be expelled from the august House.
The self-styled secretary general also wrote to the Local Government Minister Winston Chitando, purportedly recalling 17 CCC councillors for a similar reason.
In a letter to Parliament, Chamisa denied Tshabangu was a CCC official and, therefore, was not qualified to act in the manner he did.
"I have had sight of a letter dated 3 October 2023 circulating on social media and reported in news media addressed to the Speaker of Parliament from one Sengezo Tshabangu purporting to be the interim SG of CCC and purporting to recall several members of our political party from the Parliament.
"Pursuant to our letter dated 11 September 2023 in which l advised you on the communications protocols concerning CCC MPs, l am writing to confirm that there has not been any changes to the communications protocols...," Chamisa wrote.
"For the avoidance of doubt, no other person is authorised to correspond or communicate with Parliament concerning CCC MPs."
In the referenced letter, Chamisa said all correspondences concerning his listed party's 103 MPs and 27 senators should be directed to his office.
The opposition leader described Tshabangu as a huge fraud.
"Sengezo Tshabangu is not a member of CCC and as such cannot provide, avail, or adduce evidence of any such membership as his name does not appear on any of CCC street or village registers of any district, in any province, as administered by the CCC Bureau of Organising.
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"In the CCC we have no such position as SG or interim SG as alleged by Tshabangu," further argued Chamisa.
Noone has been recalled from Parliament, he added.
"As at present, none of the MPs who were elected under the CCC have been expelled from the party I lead or recalled from the National Assembly, or for that matter, from any elected position in the Senate or any local council," Chamisa wrote.
CCC informed Parliament that legal action was underway to deal with Tshabangu.
"Hon Speaker, the conduct of Mr Tshabangu is infact a wanton violation of our laws and a clear act of criminality. As such, criminal charges have been filed against him.
"Therefore, please disregard the letter in question or any other correspondences from any other person purporting to represent CCC."
The Speaker has acknowledged receipt of Tshabangu's letter and wrote to ZEC informing of 15 vacancies.
Tshabangu has been linked to fake signatures for nearly two dozen aspiring candidates who filed nomination papers as CCC candidates for the August 23 elections, and whose nominations were controversially accepted by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission. Chamisa failed to overturn ZEC's decision in court.
In some parliamentary constituencies and local authority races, CCC ended up with two or even three candidates on a single ballot.
