Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) supporters, who voted for their representative in August 2023 harmonised elections, say they feel abandoned following the abrupt resignation of their representative in Parliament.
According to section 129(1)(b) of the Constitution, a seat in Parliament becomes vacant once a legislator resigns through a written notice to the President of the Senate or to the Speaker.
Legislators Fadzayi Mahere (Mt Pleasant), Allan “Rusty” Markham (Harare East), Brian James (Mutare Central) and Daniel Molokele (Hwange Central) have tendered their resignation letters after former CCC leader Nelson Chamisa ditched the party more than a fortnight ago.
Mahere was the first to resign.
She said: “The assault on the will of the people, the tainted state of Parliament, coupled with sundry breaches of parliamentary privilege, illegal suspensions and the decision by president Nelson Chamisa to dissociate himself from the captured CCC has made it untenable for me to continue in my role as a Member of Parliament for Mt Pleasant constituency under the CCC banner.”
She said the CCC had changed from the movement she joined.
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“The CCC that I joined is not the CCC that we have left today. I cannot in good conscience be aligned with individuals who have caused unimaginable harm to the people by aligning themselves with a corrupt dictatorship,” Mahere said.
“I also cannot partner with persons who are willing to undo the will of the people and hand over seats that citizens stood in line for hours to vote for just to score cheap political points. This is not who I am or who I aspire to be.”
James said the recent events had given all elected officials a chance to evaluate their positions within the CCC and the state of the CCC itself.
“We all joined the CCC with high hopes of dislodging the ruling party and accepted the structures and selection processes. While not perfect, we came so close in achieving this despite the State-sponsored obstacles,” he said.
“This being the ultimate aim of any opposition party, why then, would anyone want to sabotage that, for any reason? It, therefore, begs the question; how effective, would the party be in securing electoral reforms and entrench a democratic political system when controlled by the ruling party?”
However, voters in the affected constituencies have expressed their anger saying CCC has betrayed them, accusing their representatives of abandoning their posts without consultation.
“It’s a slap in the face,” fumed Tapiwa Mativenga, a Mt Pleasant resident.
“We put our faith in Mahere, expecting her to fight for our community’s issues. Now, just months in, she jumps ship without a word. What about the promises she made?”
Similar sentiments echoed across Harare East, where Markham’s resignation left a void.
“We elected Markham for his vision and commitment to improving our constituency,” said Tendai Makonese.
“But now, he’s gone, leaving us with no voice in Parliament. Did he even consider how this impacts our lives?”
Other voters accused the former lawmakers of operating in secrecy.
“They talk about transparency and accountability, but this whole thing is shrouded in secrecy,” Tanaka Nyasha, a youth activist in Harare East, said.
“If they can’t be upfront with their voters, how can we trust them to represent us effectively?”
The resignations will trigger by-elections in the constituencies involved amid concerns over voter apathy and fatigue.
Many residents also expressed disillusionment with the political system, questioning the point of participating in elections if their representatives can simply walk away mid-term.