News / Local
Sengezo Tshabangu rescinds the recall of Victoria Falls councillors
15 Dec 2023 at 14:16hrs | Views
THE Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) has cancelled the planned by-election that had been set for Victoria Falls after Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) interim secretary Mr Sengezo Tshabangu rescinded the recall of the affected councillors.
The interim opposition party's secretary general instigated recall of several legislators and councillors countrywide and Victoria Falls' ward 9 and 11 councillors Mthunzi Mpofu and Daniel Moyo respectively, were part of the 52 that Mr Tshabangu recalled from 15 local authorities last month.
By-elections were expected to be done in February next year.
Mr Tshabangu's argument was that the recalled candidates were imposed on the people in the run up to the August 23 elections and it is time to return the opposition outfit to constitutionalism.
Some of the recalled MPs took Mr Tshabangu to court and the case was dismissed by the High Court paving way for the recent by-elections where the opposition lost some seats to the ruling Zanu-PF.
In a statement, ZEC Chief Elections Officer Mr Utloile Silaigwana said the by-elections in Victoria Falls had been cancelled.
"It is hereby notified that the advertised vacancies for the City of Victoria Falls wards 9 and 11 and the party list PR vacancies are no longer in existence following the recession of the recall of the incumbents by their sponsoring party. Accordingly, the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission advises that all electoral processes in relation to the said advertised by-elections have been cancelled with immediate effect," he said.
Victoria Falls have 11 elected councillors and three women's quota councillors.
The two proportional representation councillors who had also been affected by the recall are Mabukwana Ndlovu and Mariya Phiri.
The interim opposition party's secretary general instigated recall of several legislators and councillors countrywide and Victoria Falls' ward 9 and 11 councillors Mthunzi Mpofu and Daniel Moyo respectively, were part of the 52 that Mr Tshabangu recalled from 15 local authorities last month.
By-elections were expected to be done in February next year.
Mr Tshabangu's argument was that the recalled candidates were imposed on the people in the run up to the August 23 elections and it is time to return the opposition outfit to constitutionalism.
In a statement, ZEC Chief Elections Officer Mr Utloile Silaigwana said the by-elections in Victoria Falls had been cancelled.
"It is hereby notified that the advertised vacancies for the City of Victoria Falls wards 9 and 11 and the party list PR vacancies are no longer in existence following the recession of the recall of the incumbents by their sponsoring party. Accordingly, the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission advises that all electoral processes in relation to the said advertised by-elections have been cancelled with immediate effect," he said.
Victoria Falls have 11 elected councillors and three women's quota councillors.
The two proportional representation councillors who had also been affected by the recall are Mabukwana Ndlovu and Mariya Phiri.
Source - The Chronicle
