The Citizens Coalition for Change has disowned correspondence purporting to recall its elected public representatives, which was delivered to the Speaker of the National Assembly Advocate Jacob Mudenda, Senate President Hon, Mabel Chinomona and Local Government Minister Daniel Garwe.

In a statement dated 9 October the party says the letters circulating in the public domain have no factual, political or legal basis.

Fake Recall Letters

“We wish to state that these purported recalls have no factual, political, or legal basis.

“They do not represent the position of the Citizens Coalition for Change,” reads the statement signed by CCC Interim National Spokesperson Nqobizitha Mlilo.

The statement comes amid reports that Bulawayo Mayor David Coltart had been recalled over a dispute involving Geo Pomona Waste Management.

In a letter dated 7 October, the Local Government Minister was allegedly notified that Coltart, Ward 4 councillor, had “ceased to be a member” of the party and should be removed in terms of Section 129(1)(k) of the Constitution.

The dispute allegedly centres on Coltart’s resistance to Geo Pomona’s expansion into Bulawayo.

However, CCC says preliminary internal investigations have identified specific individuals behind the new correspondence.

It accused them of using recalls as a tool of extortion and coercion.

“The malicious intent of these actors is their long-standing aim at deploying recalls as a tool of extortion and coercion to force false allegiance from elected officials,” the party said.

“Failing to secure such compliance from public representatives, their ultimate objective is to destabilize the party from within through nefarious rumour-mongering and divisive, argumentative behavior.

The party said the conduct may amount to contempt of court and that legal counsel has been briefed.

“The forthcoming legal counsel will inform the political and administrative measures the party will employ to permanently resolve this infraction.”

Recall Saga

This is the latest twist in a recall saga that has dogged the CCC since October 2023.

Sengezo Tshabangu, claiming to be interim secretary-general, wrote to Mudenda and then Local Government Minister Winston Chitando recalling 15 MPs and 17 councillors.

The Speaker accepted the letters, declared vacancies and triggered by-elections on 9 December 2023.

The CCC denied Tshabangu was a member and called him an impostor working with ZANU-PF.

Party leader Nelson Chamisa subsequently quit in January 2024, saying the party had been hijacked.

Through the recalls and subsequent by-elections which the CCC did not contest, ZANU-PF gained a two-thirds majority in Parliament.

The ruling party had initially failed to secure majority control in the August 2023 harmonised elections.

High Court Intervention

The High Court later interdicted further recalls pending determination of a main case, HC 6872/23, challenging Tshabangu’s authority.

Mlilo said all disciplined public representatives should continue discharging their mandates.

“We reassure all our public representatives, stakeholders, and the general public that all disciplined public representatives must continue to discharge their constitutional mandates with absolute certainty.

“Their tenure remains secure up to at least 2030.”

“The leadership remains unyielding in its focus on nation-building, administrative excellence, and constructive engagement.

Hebsaid the party will not be distracted by elements who possess an exaggerated sense of self-importance and seek to advance narrow self-interests.