Mudenda Revokes Appointment Of Chamisa-aligned MPs To Parliament Committees
A faction of the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) led by Jameson Timba suffered a major setback in Parliament on Tuesday after the Speaker of the National Assembly Jacob Mudenda revoked its appointment of portfolio point persons made in February.
ZimLive reported that Timba, who claims to be the CCC Chief Administrator, wrote to Mudenda naming Chipinge South MP Clifford Hlatwayo as CCC’s leader of the house with Nomathemba Ndlovu, the proportional representation MP for Matabeleland South, as the Chief Whip.
On Tuesday, Mudenda told MPs he made a mistake by acting on Timba’s letter. He then invited a rival faction led by Welshman Ncube and Sengezo Tshabangu to submit its list of leaders in parliament. He said:
On Thursday, February 15, 2024, I made an announcement in the House on the appointment of several members of the CCC party to various portfolios in parliament.
The announcement was based on a letter authored by one Mr Jameson Timba, purporting to be the interim leader of the CCC party.
On reflection, I should not have acted upon that letter as facts now thereof before me show that Jameson Timba had no locus standi to represent a party in such a manner as I will outline below.
Jameson Timba was recalled from the Senate by the CCC party on November 7, 2023, the party which he purported to represent as the acting leader and administrator.
Jameson Timba challenged the recall in the High Court under case number HCH 6684/23 with other former members of the CCC party and lost the court case.
He was also among the former members of the CCC party whom the High Court barred on December 9, 2023, from contesting the February 3, 2024, by-elections under the CCC party following Sengezo Tshabangu’s application to block them from participating in the polls under the CCC banner.
Considering that Jameson Timba had been recalled by the same CCC party he was purporting to represent and that he was also banned by the courts from contesting under the banner of the same CCC party, his communication to parliament and the appointments made thereafter, are therefore null and void.
Accordingly, I am rescinding the announcement on February 15, 2024, and referring the matter back to the CCC party to make the appropriate appointments.
The other CCC MPs who were assigned to various committees were Hamauswa Shakespear (Deputy Chief Whip); Chalton Hwende (Public Accounts); Joanah Mamombe (Environment & Climate); Lesley Mhangwa (Energy & Power Development); Daniel Molokele (Health and Child Care); Caston Matewu (Information); Minenhle Gumede (Higher Education) and Surrender Kapoikulu (ICT).
Timba reportedly leads a CCC faction loyal to the party’s former leader, Nelson Chamisa who quit the party in January claiming infiltration.
The other faction, which is recognised by the State, was formerly led by Tshabangu, who has recognised Welshman Ncube as the new CCC leader.
Ncube will likely secure government recognition as the Leader of the Opposition, an official title that would come with perks, and also receive CCC’s share of funds from the State under the Political Parties (Finance) Act.
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