HARARE mayor, Jacob Mufume has taken a jibe at Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) officials who have attempted to oust him saying some councillors' behaviour is influenced by "substances".

Mafume has not been spared amid power struggles in the opposition with some councillors pushing for a vote of no confidence against him last week.

Mafume survived, only for reports this week to surface indicating that he had been expelled from CCC.

Addressing the media in Harare, Mafume said those who attempted a coup against him had a shallow understanding of the law.

"We welcome the vitality and debate of the council and people are free to contribute when there are heated debates. There is no provision, our understanding is very different as councillors and sometimes our levels of comprehension are different depending on the tools we developed for themselves before they become councillors.

"Sometimes someone misreads the law or sometimes fails to understand the law completely. So one tried to put motions in a special council that motion was not viable. The constitution is very clear on how a councillor leaves office and how a Mayor leaves office and one of them is certainly not by passing motions in the chamber," said Mafume.

Mafume added: "We corrected the councillor, if you look at videos the councillor then merrily continues to acknowledge his legitimate worship. After correcting and calming him down, as you know, when we prepare to come to meetings people take different substances so certain substances then confuse the person and take time for substances to subside."

CCC is going through a turbulent period with the party battling to control the reign of self-proclaimed secretary general Sengezo Tshabangu.

Using a self-curated SG office, Tshabangu has been recalling the opposition's MPs and councillors, fragmenting CCC's power.

While Tshabangu has been labelled an imposter by top party officials, political observers opine that it is a manifestation of factionalism in the opposition party.