Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) has joined court proceedings in a case Sengezo Tshabangu is demanding the removal of its legislators from contesting in Saturday's by-elections under the party.
Tshabangu, claiming to be CCC interim secretary general, recalled 15 MPs in October stating that they were no longer party members.
The recalled lawmakers filed an urgent chamber application which was dismissed by the High Court ruling that they did not prove they were still CCC members.
Munamato Mutevedzi sitting at the Harare High Court also ruled that their failure to cite CCC was fatal on their end.
To this end, the recalled legislators noted an appeal which was struck off the roll by the Supreme Court after papers were wrongly filed.
Tshabangu had also filed another application arguing that the recalled were not supposed to file their nomination papers for the by-election under CCC.
The matter was supposed to be heard Tuesday but was postponed to this Wednesday after CCC sought a joinder to the proceedings.
"The reason why this matter was not heard is because there is a party that also calls itself CCC which had asked for a joinder and was officially joined through a court order and will now be respondent number 25.
"The bone of contention is the issue of double candidates. There are candidates who were expelled by the party who then went back to Zec and filed papers in the name of CCC," said Nqobani Sithole representing Tshabangu.
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When the application was filed, Tshabangu's other lawyer Lewis Uriri told journalists that his client's latest move was the only logical step to follow after Mutevedzi's ruling.
"You remember that these people were recalled by the CCC.
"They challenged their recall in the High Court and the court upheld the recalls.
"As a result, we know for a fact that they ceased to be members of parliament on account of their recall by CCC.
"They then proceeded to file their nomination papers under the CCC, the very same party that recalled them.
"The law knows no such absurdity. The party that recalled them did not sign their nomination papers and they were therefore improperly nominated and we will be seeking that they be expunged from the list of those that were validly nominated such that they will not be on the ballot paper," said Uriri.
