By Wezhira Munya
[This article outlines the list of all members of parliament and Senate that were appointed by Tshabangu]
On May 30th, 2024, a significantly sad event occurred in Zimbabwe’s democratic landscape, as Sengezo Tshabangu, the Zanu PF proxy and self-proclaimed secretary general of the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC), removed all pro-Chamisa lieutenants from parliamentary committees and leadership positions in the parliament and Senate.
Tshabangu appointed several Members of Parliament (MPs) who were claiming to be supporters of opposition leader Nelson Chamisa. However, many citizens view these appointed MPs as having “betrayed” the citizens by aligning with ZANU-PF proxies like Tshabangu and Ncube, likely in exchange for political positions or benefits. There are calls from citizens for any pro-Chamisa MPs who were wrongly appointed by Tshabangu to refuse to take those parliamentary seats, as their acceptance is seen as a betrayal of the opposition movement.
Tshabangu appointed Chikanga member of parliament, Linet Karenyi-Kore, as the leader of the parliament and the SADC Parliament Forum. Additionally, Tshabangu has assumed three powerful positions: the leader of the Opposition in the Senate, the overall leader of the Opposition in parliament, and a member of the Inter-Parliamentary Union committee.
Professor Welshman Ncube is the acting president of Tshabangu’s outfit and all appointed mps report to Ncube.
Yesterday, on May 29th, 2024, the CCC secretary-general, Sengezo Tshabangu, wrote a letter to the Speaker of Parliament, informing him of the changes. The letter was also copied to the Clerk of Parliament and the CCC acting president, Professor Ncube. The implications of this letter are that all appointed members of parliament and Senators, who will hold different committees, portfolios, and leadership positions in the National Assembly and Senate, are now pro-Tshabangu and Professor Ncube. All pro-Chamisa lieutenants have been removed from their respective positions by Tshabangu and Ncube.
In the letter, Tshabangu, writing as the Acting secretary general, stated, “…we write that CCC has made the appointments and deployments to various parliamentary roles and responsibilities as outlined below”:
Sengezo Tshabangu as the leader of opposition in Senate and overall leader of the Opposition in parliament, Linet Karenyi-Kore as leader of opposition in parliament (National Assembly), Cecil Zvidzai as deputy Chief whip in the Senate, Nomhlanhla Mlotshwa as Chief Whip in the Senate (is an overall Chief Whip), Edwin Mushoriwa as the Chief Whip in the National Assembly (Parliament), Standing Rules and Orders Comm. members are: Sichelesile Mahlangu and Kucaca l. Phulu; then Sen. Solani Moyo as the Indigenisation committee member, Concelia Chinanzvavana as the secretary general, Otilia Sibanda as the Deputy Chair, and Julian Makuvire as a committee member, Parliamentary Legal Committee members are Agency Gumbo and Kucaca I. Phulu; Hon. Joana Mamombe for the Environment, Climate, Wildlife and Tourism committee; Minenhle N. Gumede for the Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology committee; Caston Matewu for the Media, Publicity and Broadcasting Services committee; Vusumuzi Moyo for the Information communication, Technology and Courier Services committee; Vincent Sihlalo for the Energy and Power Development Committee; Josiya Makombe for the Health and Childcare Committee; Charlton Hwende for the Public Accounts committee;Maggie Ngwena for the Association of Senates, SHOORA & Equivalent Council; Linet Karenyi-Kore and Gladys Kudzaishe Hlatywayo for the SADC Parliament Forum committee; Happymore Bvondo Chidziva for the Pan African Parliament; Mhlotshwa for the OACPS-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly and EU Africa Parliament Assembly; Sengezo Tshabangu and Moreen Kademaunga for the Inter-Parliamentary Union; S. Matsunga for the Africa Parliamentary Union; and Sisankosi Ndebele for the Gender and Development committee.”
Tshabangu and his team in parliament will now appoint all parliamentary committee chairpersons, Chief Whips, and the leader of the Opposition to replace all those who were previously appointed by Honourable Senator Timba.
On Tuesday, May 28th, 2024, the Speaker of the National Assembly, Advocate Jacob Mudenda, rescinded the appointments of legislators from the CCC to various parliamentary committees. This was done after he noted that their secondment to the positions by former Senator Jameson Timba was procedurally improper.
Adv Mudenda informed the National Assembly that he had made the announcement of the CCC legislators’ appointments on February 15th, 2024, based on a letter written by former Senator Timba, who claimed to be the interim leader of the CCC Party. The Speaker acknowledged that he should not have acted upon that letter, as the facts showed that Hon. Timba had no standing to represent the party in that manner.
Hon. Timba was recalled from the Senate by the CCC party on November 7th, 2023, and he had challenged the recall in the High Court under case number HCH 6684/23 with other former members of the CCC party, but he ultimately lost the court case. Hon. Timba was also among the former members of the party whom the High Court barred on December 9th, 2023, from contesting the February 3rd by-elections under the CCC banner, following Sengezo Tshabangu’s application to block them from participating in the polls under the opposition party’s banner.
Adv Mudenda stated that considering Timba’s recall from the CCC party and the court’s decision to bar him from contesting under the party’s banner, his communication to Parliament and the appointments made thereafter were null and void. Accordingly, the Speaker rescinded the announcement made on February 15th, 2024, and referred the matter back to the CCC party to make the appropriate appointments.
The MPs affected by this decision include Senator Sessel Zvidzai, who was the chief whip for the CCC in the Senate, Ms. Nomathemba Ndlovu, who was the party’s chief whip in the National Assembly and her deputy, Dr. Shakespear Hamauswa, Mr. Wellington Chikombo, who was appointed to the Committee of Standing Rules and Orders, Ms. Sethulo Ndebele, who was the deputy chairperson of the Zimbabwe Women’s Parliamentary Caucus, Ms. Concillia Chinanzvavana, who was the secretary for the body, and Senator Mary-Grace Gwature, who was the organiser.
Other legislators affected are Hon. Martin Mureri, who was appointed to the Parliamentary Legal Committee, Hon. Prosper Mutseyami, who was a member of the Inter-Parliamentary Union delegation, Ms. Gladys Hlatshwayo, who was a member of the African Caribbean Pacific-European Union delegation, Senator Maggie Chakabuda, who was a member of the Association of Senates, Shoora and Equivalent Councils of Africa and the Arab world, and Hon. Ntandoyenkosi Gumede, who chaired the Portfolio Committee on Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology Development.
However, former Mt Pleasant legislator Fadzayi Mahere questioned Mudenda’s power to reverse appointments made by a political party in parliament. Mahere asked under which law the Speaker of Parliament has the power to reverse appointments made by a political party regarding chairs of portfolio committees, especially when he had already announced the appointments and the chairs had begun their work. Mahere also questioned which provision of the Constitution, Standing Orders, or any statute empowers the Speaker to declare a political party’s internal officers “null and void,” as only a court of law can declare invalidity.
