In a surprising turn of events within the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC), Members of Parliament have defied the direct order of their party leader, Nelson Chamisa, to withdraw from parliament. The decision came following the recall of certain MPs who had ceased to be members of the party, initiated by Interim Secretary General Sengezo Tshabangu.
The rift within the CCC became apparent after Chamisa convened the Citizens National Assembly to discuss whether MPs should withdraw from parliament in response to Tshabangu’s recall. The internal party discord was laid bare on X (formerly Twitter) when Jealousy Mawarire, the Spokesperson of the National Patriotic Front, posted a tweet shedding light on the situation.
“Chamisa had ordered a withdrawal but was told in no uncertain terms that he can’t withdraw MPs who campaigned using their resources, especially after he, Chamisa, took all the donated money meant for MPs’ campaigns and put it to his personal use. He was cornered; he could do anything but bow to pressure,” Mawarire’s tweet read.
Despite the internal turmoil and the public disclosure of the party’s internal challenges, CCC spokesperson Promise Mkwananzi defended the decision of the MPs to remain in parliament in a post on X. “It is our considered view as the Citizens Coalition for Change that we will be more impactful speaking against and calling out the regime in parliament while also guarding our zones of autonomy rather than pulling out,” Mkwananzi explained.
Mkwananzi reiterated the party’s commitment to defending the people’s vote and challenged President Mnangagwa to take the initiative if the government does not want CCC legislators in Parliament. “If Mr. Mnangagwa does not want our legislators in Parliament, let him expel them rather than us doing the job for him. That way, the world will know who the real enemy of democracy is. We will never give in to the regime’s machinations,” he stated.
The defiance of CCC MPs against Chamisa’s withdrawal order signals a deepening crisis within the party, raising questions about internal cohesion and leadership dynamics.
Source Byo24news
