Kadoma Mayor Action Nyamukondiwa and three other MDC-T councillors were recalled after being expelled from the opposition party.
Nyamukondiwa, representing Ward 9, and the other councillors representing Wards 3, 4, and 15 had their positions declared vacant in a letter from Minister of Local Government and Public Works July Moyo to Kadoma town clerk Mr Malvern Dondo. He said:
<blockquote>
I wish to inform you that I am in receipt of a letter from the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC-T) stating that Councillor Action Nyamukondiwa of Ward 9, Councillor Edson Muzira Ward 4, Councillor Nigel Rozario Ward 15 and Councillor Michael Mvura Ward 3 have been expelled from the party.
In terms of Section 278(1) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe as read with Section (1)(k), the above-mentioned wards are now vacant. In terms of Section 121 of the Electoral Act, please proceed to inform the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission of these vacancies.
</blockquote>
The opposition party MDC (Movement for Democratic Change) has been recalling councillors and MPs (Members of Parliament) mainly for their allegiance to the rival Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) led by Nelson Chamisa.
The recalls started immediately after the Supreme Court had ruled that Chamisa was not the legitimate leader of the MDC. There were internal disagreements and power struggles within the MDC party following the demise of founding leader, Morgan Tsvangirai.
The recalls have led to changes in the political landscape of Zimbabwe, with some seats being left vacant and by-elections being held to fill them. 
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Four MDC-T Councillors, Including Kadoma Mayor, Recalled

The Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) claims that members of the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) are financially supporting their challenge to the ZEC delimitation report and push for a postponement of this year’s elections.
MDC leader Mwonzora filed a Constitutional Court application last month to annul the report, claiming it was flawed due to irregularities in the process of creating the new boundaries.
The court dismissed the application for lacking jurisdiction. Mwonzora is now planning another attempt to set aside the delimitation report. NewZimbabwe cites him as saying:
<blockquote>
We have prepared our papers and today we are filing our application before the High Court seeking the same relief. We argue that a declaration must be made that the delimitation report is invalid, ZEC must be ordered to redo and that the proclamation must, by the President, follow receipt of a correct delimitation report.
</blockquote>
Mwonzora argues that the delimitation report doesn’t consider recent census data. After Chief Justice Luke Malaba dismissed his court bid, CCC leader Nelson Chamisa criticised Mwonzora for working with ZANU PF to delay the elections. Mwonzora claimed that despite public criticism from CCC, its members supported his legal challenge. He said:
<blockquote>
There are a number of people in CCC who were encouraging me to persist with the application to the extent of offering financial help there.
</blockquote>
The delimitation report has caused controversy since it was released earlier this year. A ZANU PF member previously attempted to challenge it in court.
Mwonzora’s legal challenge faced criticism from some political observers who accused him of trying to avoid a vote. Mwonzora’s performance in previous by-elections has been criticized, and some predict a similar outcome in this year’s elections.
The delimitation report is significant for the upcoming elections because it determines the boundaries of constituencies and wards for the purpose of parliamentary and local government elections.
The report is produced by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) and is based on population data from the national census. The report impacts the distribution of seats in parliament and local councils, which in turn affects the outcome of elections.
The controversy surrounding the delimitation report stems from concerns about the accuracy and fairness of the boundaries, and the potential for gerrymandering to benefit certain political parties or groups.
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MDC Claims CCC Members Fund Challenge To ZEC Delimitation Report

The <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/Zimbabwe_Electoral_Commission">Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC)</a> says the harmonised elections scheduled for July this year will go ahead as planned despite a court challenge by MDC leader Douglas Mwonzora.
Senator Mwonzora filed his application at the High Court last week in a bid to have the polls postponed because of controversy over the delimitation exercise.
ZEC deputy chairperson Rodney Kiwa told <a href="https://www.newsday.co.zw/local-news/article/200009229/elections-going-ahead-zec">NewsDay</a> in an interview that elections will go ahead once President Emmerson Mnangagwa proclaimed the election dates. Kiwa said:
<blockquote>
My prayer is that we don’t come to that because right now, in my very significant mind, I am not seeing what will stand in the way of us holding elections as soon as His Excellency, the President, has made the proclamation, I don’t see anything stopping us from holding elections.
</blockquote>
Kiwa added that holding elections is very important because any new government, councillor or Member of Parliament draws legitimacy from the outcome of the elections.
Speaking on HStv’s FreeTalk, political analyst and academic Ibbo Mandaza claimed that there was a covert attempt to postpone the polls. Mandaza said:
<blockquote>
Some are saying the reason for Mwonzora going to court as he has done is part of the strategy by Mnangagwa to have the elections postponed. Certainly, elements of the CCC [Citizens Coalition for Change], Nelson Chamisa himself argue that. It’s difficult not to believe it.
</blockquote>
ZANU PF spokesperson Christopher Mutsvangwa dismissed the allegations as laughable. He said:
<blockquote>
All our internal structures are ready for the polls, we are finishing our candidate selection. Why would we want to postpone elections.
</blockquote>
Mwonzora has, however, defended his court challenge as necessary to guarantee free and fair elections. 
Government critics, including the Zimbabwe Democracy Institute (ZDI) view the <a href="https://zero.pindula.co.zw/delimitation-report-a-zanu-pf-scheme-to-maintain-two-thirds-majority-in-parliament-zdi/">delimitation exercise as a ZANU-PF scheme</a> to maintain a two-thirds majority in Parliament.
The delimitation exercise set new boundaries and constituencies for the purposes of the 2023 elections.
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ZEC Says Elections Will Go Ahead As Scheduled

The opposition MDC-T led by Senator <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/Douglas_Mwonzora">Douglas Mwonzora</a> has made a U-turn on participation in by-elections.
Following poor performance during the 26 March by-elections, MDC-T resolved not to partake in any by-elections choosing to wait for the 2023 elections.
The party’s National Chairperson, Morgen Komichi, however, said the party will field candidates in forthcoming local authority by-elections after having a relook at the earlier position, he told NewZimbabwe.com in a recent interview.
He speaks as the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) last week announced that the nomination court will receive nomination papers for Binga, Victoria Falls and Gweru by-elections on November 3, while polling will be held on December 3.
Komichi, also known as Baba Abrahama in political circles, says they will participate this time. He said:
<blockquote>
This time around we are going to take part in the upcoming by-elections. We have already identified through consensus our candidates. We are urging Zimbabweans to vote for the MDC-T.
Our party is the only political party which can bring real change in Zimbabwe. Our people have suffered a lot under ZANU PF.
</blockquote>
In Binga, the by-elections will be held in Wards 6, 8, 10, 15, 20 and 23 while in Gweru the elections are set for Wards 4, 5 and 18. In Victoria Falls, Ward 8 will have by-elections. 
The posts arose mostly as a result of recalls of incumbent councillors and Members of Parliament (MPs) by the MDC-T.
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Mwonzora-led MDC-T Changes Stance On By-elections

Opposition MDC-Alliance chairperson <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/Morgen_Komichi">Morgen Komichi</a> has said the government only needs confrontation, not dialogue, for it to respond to address national issues.
His remarks are in contradiction with those of <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/Douglas_Mwonzora">Douglas Mwonzora</a> who leads the MDC-Alliance party who believes that dialogue is the key to solving the prevailing crises.
Speaking on Alpha Media Holdings’ Heart and Soul television (HStv)’s current affairs programme at the weekend, Komichi said President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s government had shown a lack of desire to engage in meaningful dialogue with opposition party leaders. <a href="https://www.newsday.co.zw/local-news/article/200001093/komichi-mwonzora-differ-on-way-forward">NewsDay Zimbabwe</a> quotes him as saying:
<blockquote>
As we speak right now the government doesn’t want anything to do with dialoguing. People have talked about dialogue and the government has not been forthcoming, the government simply needs confrontation, the opposition people should just stand up and demand what the government should do. The moment you start putting issues of dialogue, the government laughs at you, because like now how can we, as Zimbabweans, allow the government to go for 10 years without implementing important parts of our Constitution like devolution?
</blockquote>
After he was voted the MDC-T president in 2020, Mwonzora met Mnangagwa at State House and gave him a dialogue proposal document, which suggested that by-elections must be put on hold in order to promote talks outside the Political Actors Dialogue (POLAD) platform. 
Mnangagwa ignored the proposal insisting that talks will only take place within the POLAD platform he initiated in 2019 for the 2018 presidential candidates to dialogue in an endeavour to address the socio-economic and political crises bedevilling Zimbabwe. 
Nelson Chamisa who now leads the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) refused to join POLAD saying it was meant to legitimise Mnangagwa’s rule.
Meanwhile, Komichi called on opposition forces to join hands and confront the government to force it to respect the country’s Constitution.
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