The recently elected mayor of Harare under the banner of the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC), Lovemore Chitengu finds himself facing yet another recall after he missed the first one due to a minor spelling error of his surname, just a week ago.
This marks the second attempt Chitengu has been recalled under the orchestrated recalls by CCC’s Secretary General, Sengezo Tshabangu.
According to a source Chitengu was being backed by CCC leader, Nelson Chamisa and had believed that he was now safe from the recalls but only to be recalled again together with other Marondera councillors Define Chitando and Lorainne Mutizwa.
“Chitengu thought he was shielded from another recall by Chamisa’s support, but this turned out to be a false sense of security. However, this illusion shattered as he and two Marondera councillors Define Chitando and Lorainne Mutizwa found themselves once again facing the unsettling reality of being recalled,” said the source.
Furthermore, another source indicated that Tshabangu’s aggressive recall strategy stems from his belief that Chamisa’s decision-making is swayed by personal loyalty rather than merit. The source revealed that Tshabangu was convinced that Chamisa’s candidate selection process, only resulted in a team of handpicked individuals who are more likely to be loyal to Chamisa than to the people they represent.
“Tshabangu believes that Chamisa’s selections are driven more by personal loyalty than merit, leading to a leadership lineup that may not align with the desires of the general public. His conviction fuelled Tshabangu’s determination to recall Chitengu again, leaving no stone unturned in his quest to reshape the party’s leadership,” said the source.
Additionally, in a recent tweet on X (formerly known as twitter) , Tshabangu reiterated his stance, stating that he will not rest until the CCC is filled with leaders with a political track record and who were democratically elected by the people.
Tshabangu explicitly criticized the selection process in CCC on special attention to the newly elected mayor of Masvingo, Shantel Chiwara.
Tshabangu questioned her merit and qualifications, claiming that having degrees does not necessarily equate to leadership ability. He emphasized the need for leaders with proven track records who have been democratically elected by the people.
“Boldly and unapologetically, I stand with what I said about this girl, having degrees doesn’t mean one has the ability to lead, NO, we want tried and tested leaders with a political track record and who’re democratically elected by the people not these handpicked individuals,” said Tshabangu.
Meanwhile, the future direction of the CCC under Chamisa’s leadership and Tshabangu’s assertive approach remains a subject of keen interest and speculation.
