Harare (New Ziana) -Speaker of the National Assembly Jacob Mudenda on Tuesday confirmed the recall of 15 opposition legislators and ordered their ejection from the august house.
Social media had been awash this week that the main opposition Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) party had recalled the 15 MPs, days before Parliamentary sittings began following the August 23 and 24 general elections.
Mudenda, presiding over the first sitting of the National Assembly on Tuesday, informed the legislators of their recall, and asked them to leave the chamber.
“On the 3rd of October 2023, I received a letter by Tshabangu signed off as the interim secretary general of CCC to notify me that the following cease to be members of CCC,” said Mudenda.
The CCC has disputed the recalls, which open the way for by-elections, claiming the person who wrote to Parliament, Sengezo Tshabangu, does not have the legal authority to do so.
“As CCC we did not recall anyone. CCC cannot recall its MP. This person called Tshabangu is not even on our database. He is not even a member of our party. There is no way Tshabangu can recall our members of Parliament,” said CCC chief whip Amos Chibaya, who is the MP for Mkoba.
But Mudenda summoned the police to effect the ejection, nonetheless, sparking skirmishes in the National Assembly as the MPs, backed by their colleagues, resisted the move and became rowdy, singing derogatory songs.
The affected MPs are Pashor Raphael Sibanda (Cowdray Park); Ereck Gono (Lobengula-Magwegwe); Nicola Watson (Bulawayo South); Desmond Makaza (Mpopoma-Mzilikazi); Obert Manduna (Nketa); Sitabile Mlilo (Proportional Representation); Jasmine Toffa (Proportional Representation); Janet Dube (Proportional Representation); Evidence Zana (Youth Quota); Morgan Ncube (Beitbridge West); Nomathemba Sibanda (Proportional Representation); Velisiwe Nkomo (Proportional Representation); Prince Dubeko Sibanda (Binga North); Bright Moyo Vanya (Lupane East) and Febion Munyaradzi (Mabvuku-Tafara).
After a number of attempts, the police managed to eject the expelled MPs and all the other lawmakers who had caused the chaos and restored order in the house.
After all the CCC MPs had left, Mudenda ruled that those who had been forcibly ejected by the police have been banned from attending Parliament for six sittings and will each be docked two months’ pay.
New Ziana
