The High Court has dismissed an application by Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) Members of Parliament and Senate to be reinstated following their recall by Sengezo Tshabangu, who claimed to be the party’s Secretary General.
In a judgment delivered on November 4, 2023, Justice Munamato Mutevedzi said the CCC members’ application failed to prove that Tshabangu was an imposter, paving the way for the sitting of the Nomination Court on November 7 and the December 9 by-elections respectively.
The opposition party members argued that Tshabangu was not a bona fide member of the party and had no authority to recall them.
However, Justice Mutevedzi said that Tshabangu had provided sufficient evidence to prove his authority, including letters to the presiding officers of Parliament and the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC).
The judge also criticized the CCC members for the language used in their application, which he described as “teemed with resentment and rage.” He said that the use of expletives and insults was “beneath the dignity of the court” and that it had “clouded” the CCC members’ argument.
In the end, Justice Mutevedzi ruled that the CCC members had failed to prove their case and that their application was dismissed with costs.
