CCC Interim Secretary-General, Mr Singiso Chabangu, has dealt another blow after filing an application with the High Court seeking to prevent 23 candidates from using the party’s name in by-elections scheduled for February 3, further exacerbating the uncertainty and turmoil surrounding the party’s future.
The 23 summoned candidates, including Deputy Spokesperson Gift Austalos Szipa who was a lawmaker for Pelandaba-Tshabalala, stubbornly filed their nomination papers under the CCC, defying an earlier order of the High Court prohibiting the recalled MPs from running for office in the by-election. Under the CCC Act. Party banner.
In his application filed last Friday, Chabangu cited the Ministry of Justice for Legal and Parliamentary Affairs for excluding 23 candidates from the ballot papers, arguing that the candidates were no longer members of the CCC.
Chabangu also says the candidates who were recalled last year have not been accepted back into the party and therefore should not contest under the CCC banner.
“The application is made on the basis that: On 18 December 2023, the Nomination Tribunal convened after the fixed date for the by-election was announced on 3 February 2024.
“Respondents 1 to 23 submitted their nomination papers before the Nomination Tribunal to be accepted as candidates in the by-election as ‘members’ of a political party called Citizens’ Coalition for Change (CCC Party).
“This was despite the fact that in a previous ruling, this court found that they were no longer members of that party. The nomination tribunal accepted the nomination papers,” Chabangu said.
Last year, Chabangu contested the Supreme Court and won his appeal ahead of the December 9 by-election that resulted in 22 candidates being excluded from the ballot.
However, unlike previous by-elections, some former CCC members have filed their nomination papers as independent candidates for the upcoming elections.
They did this to avoid disqualification, as they had previously been barred from running under the CCC name.
In contrast to what happened at the nomination court session for the by-elections on December 9, some members of the Central Election Commission submitted their papers as independent candidates for the by-elections on February 3 to avoid disqualification.
This was in sharp contrast to the strategy followed by Nelson Chamisa’s close allies to defiantly file nomination papers under the banner of the same CCC party that had summoned them to participate in the previous by-election.
Former Chegutu West MP Admore Chivero, Oliver Mutasa, who was the MP for Zvimba East, and Denford Ngadziore have been saved from the latest legal battle after filing their nomination papers as independent candidates.
This means they will not run in the by-election under the CCC name, and the party’s legal disputes surrounding their candidacy will not apply to them. Announce