The opposition CCC has nominated five candidates to fill the vacancies in the Senate that arose following the recall of five of the party’s senators by Sengezo Tshabangu, who claims to be CCC’s interim secretary general.
They include former Harare Central MP, Murisi Zwizwai, a long-serving opposition legislator.
The names of the nominees were announced this Friday, 12 April 2024 by Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) chairperson Priscilla Makanyara Chigumba in General Notice 460 of 2024. She said:
The public is hereby notified, in terms of 39(6) of the Electoral Act [Chapter 2:13], that the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) party has nominated registered voters specified in the First Schedule, to fill the vacancies in the Senate that occurred following the recall of persons specified in the Second Schedule, who were members of the Senate for the provinces opposite their names by virtue of section 120(1)(a) of the Constitution.
Any voter wishing to object to the nomination of each of the persons specified in the First Schedule, may lodge them in writing with the Chief Elections Officer, Mahachi Quantum Building, corner Kaguvi Street and Jason Moyo Avenue, Harare, or post them to Private Bag 7782, Causeway, within a period of 14 days from the date of publication of this notice, setting forth the reasons for the objection.
Those specified in the First Schedule are Zwizwai, Tambudzai Kunaka, and Moses Manyengavana, all of Harare Province, and Spiwe Munemo and Tawanda Bvumo, both of Mashonaland West Province.
While the origin of the five candidates’ nominations remains uncertain due to CCC’s factional divisions, it is logical to assume that Tshabangu submitted their names to ZEC as he is the only CCC member who has the authority to recall Members of Parliament who is recognized by State institutions.
Former CCC senators, specified in the Second Schedule were recalled by Tshabangu last year. They are Vongai Tome, Webster Maondera, and Jameson Timba, all from Harare Province, and Editor Eremenziah Matamisa and Ralph T. Mangunje, both from Mashonaland West Province.
