Peter Moyo
The High Court has today delivered a judgement in the case involving Sengezo Tshabangu, rejecting his attempt to appoint new leaders within the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) parliamentary caucus.
The court ruled that Tshabangu’s actions to remove and appoint new leaders, including the Leader of the Opposition, Chief Whip, and Portfolio Committee chairpersons, were without legal standing.
In the judgement, Justice Pisirayi Kwenda stated, “The appointment of the new leader of the opposition in Parliament, Chief Whip, and other Portfolio committee chairpersons by Sengezo Tshabangu are hereby declared null and void.”
The case revolved around Tshabangu’s unilateral decision to reshuffle CCC’s parliamentary leadership, including appointing himself as interim secretary general, a move that was contested by other CCC members, particularly those aligned with Welshman Ncube. The court’s decision today confirms that such changes cannot be made without the proper authority within the party’s framework.
The specific legal challenge was against Tshabangu’s action to replace Lynette Karenyi-Kore as Leader of the Opposition, among other positions. The judgement clarified that, “The court cannot allow such appointments to stand when they are made outside the boundaries of the party’s constitutional processes.”
This ruling has significant implications for the CCC’s internal dynamics, especially in the wake of Nelson Chamisa’s resignation from the party.
The CCC faction led by Welshman Ncube has expressed satisfaction with the judgement, seeing it as a reaffirmation of the party’s established leadership structure. However, this decision is likely to intensify the internal conflicts within the CCC as different factions vie for control.
