President Mnangagwa sets date for by-elections

Harare (New Ziana) – In a further blow to the crisis-ridden opposition Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) party, President Emmerson Mnangagwa on Friday proclaimed dates on which parliamentary by-elections will be held in several constituencies where the CCC recalled its legislators recently.

The opposition party, which is tethering on the brink of implosion over differences among its leaders, recalled 15 parliamentarians from the lower house, and nine from the senate, allegedly because they were irregularly nominated to run on the CCC’s ticket in the general elections in August.

The move has heightened tensions in the party, which until now was just simmering below the surface, and is threatening to lead to a new split.

In a government gazette, President Mnangagwa set November 7 as the date on which nomination courts will sit in various areas to register interested candidates, and December 9 on which the by-elections will be held in the affected constituencies.

Some of the constituencies where the by-election will be held are Beitbridge West, Binga North, Bulawayo South, Cowdray Park, Lobengula-Magwegwe, Lupane East, Mabvuku-Tafara, Mpopoma-Mzilikazi and Nketa where Morgan Ncube, Prince Dubeko Sibanda, Nicola Jane Watson, Pashor Raphael Sibanda, Ereck Gono, Bright Moyo Vanya, Febion Munyaradzi Kufahakutizwi, Desmond Makaza and Obert Manduna were respectively the legislators.

The CCC contests the recalls, but due to the intensifying power struggles in the party, appears legally powerless to challenge them.

New Ziana