Tshabangu strikes again

elf-imposed Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) secretary general Sengezo Tshabangu has ordered further recalls on Harare mayor Ian Makone, his deputy Kudzai Kadzombe and seven other city councillors in a fresh round of expulsions threatening to throw the country's main opposition into complete disarray.

In a letter sent to Local Government Minister Winston Chitando, dated 7 November 2023, Tshabangu claimed the targeted councillors "have ceased to be members of the Citizens Coalition for Change".

"Kindly be advised that the following councillors were under Citizens Coalition for Change political party and have ceased to be members of the Citizens Coalition for Change," he wrote.

Tshabangu went on to list Makone (Ward 18) Kadzombe (Ward 41), Denford Ngadziore (Ward 16), Lovejoy Chitegu (Ward 36) and Samuel Gwenzi (Ward 5) among councillors targeted for the axe.

Added to the list were PR Councillors Chido Hamauswa, Tariboyi Sabina, Florence Cheza and Fadzai Matimba.

The recalls follow the recent ouster of 14 party MPs and councillors in different parts of the country by the controversial politician.

Tshabangu is adamant the targeted CCC representatives were imposed by party leader Nelson Chamisa when the opposition chief led his novel community consensus candidate selection process early this year to choose party representatives for the August 2023 elections.

Critics say Chamisa used the unprecedented substitute to party primaries to purge some party adversaries in place of loyalists in their positions.

The recalls, linked to a certain circle of disgruntled party politicians, are also seen as an attempt by President Emmerson Mnangagwa to decimate the opposition and create a defacto one-party-state.