CCC 'faka pressure'

The beleaguered Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) party has intensified its diplomatic efforts by engaging with regional, continental, and international parliamentary bodies to address the illegal recall of its legislators. This move is part of the party's broader campaign to demand fresh elections following its dispute of the August 23-24 polls, which it characterized as a "gigantic fraud."

In response to the recall of 15 Members of Parliament and 17 councillors by Sengezo Tshabangu, who claims to be the party's interim secretary-general, the CCC has informed the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), Sadc Parliamentary Forum, Pan African Parliament, and the Africa Caribbean & Pacific-European Joint Parliamentary Assembly about the "continued abuse" of Parliament and Zimbabwe's Constitution.

IPU has acknowledged CCC's complaint and discussed the matter during its 147th Assembly in Luanda, Angola, proposing to send a mission to Zimbabwe before January 2024 to investigate the situation.

According to reports, the Speaker of the National Assembly, Jacob Mudenda, claimed that he received Tshabangu's letter on October 3, 2023, before Nelson Chamisa's September 11 letter advising that the recalls were illegal. In response, the IPU Committee on the Human Rights of Parliamentarians has expressed the need for additional clarification from the parliamentary authorities of the National Assembly and the Senate and conveyed its decision to the relevant authorities.

CCC's spokesperson, Promise Mkwananzi, explained that the party's diplomatic efforts are part of a multifaceted approach to pressure the Zanu-PF regime for another election and ultimately to regain legitimacy through negotiations.

Tshabangu, however, dismissed the diplomatic efforts as futile, accusing the CCC leadership of pursuing their own interests.

The CCC has been working to address the recall of its members and is seeking international support to challenge the government's actions and call for new elections.