CITIZENS Coalition for Change (CCC) acting leader, Welshman Ncube, has dragged self-imposed party interim secretary-general, Sengezo Tshabangu, to the High Court to stop him from firing party leaders from parliamentary posts.
Tshabangu last week fired Chikanga legislator and CCC leader of the opposition in Parliament, Lynette Karenyi-Kore, and also removed Edwin Mushoriwa from the post of chief whip.
He also replaced various Parliamentary Portfolio Committee chairpersons with new ones.
In the urgent High Court application filed in Bulawayo, Ncube sought an order restraining Tshabangu from making changes on CCC Parliamentary committee representatives.
Tshabangu was cited as the first respondent,
In the application, the CCC party, Ncube, Kore, and Mushoriwa want the court to stop Speaker of the National Assembly Jacob Mudenda from announcing the changes by Tshabangu.
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In his founding affidavit, Ncube said Tshabangu had no authority to make changes in Parliament without resolution of CCC organs.
“I contend that neither 1st Respondent nor 2nd Respondent has the authority to remove 5th Applicant (Mushoriwa) from his position as Opposition Chief Whip in the National Assembly without a resolution of the organs of 1st Applicant,” Ncube said.
“I must state that 5th Applicant was appointed democratically to that position by 1st Applicant following a formal resolution of the Parliamentary Caucus of 1st Applicant which resolved at a formal meeting of the Caucus, to recommend 5th Applicant as Chief Whip of the Party in the National Assembly.
“The recommendation was accepted and implemented by the 1st Applicant.”
Ncube challenged the appointment of Nonhlanhla Mlotshwa as the Chief Whip of the opposition saying the position does not exist under the National Constitution as well as the standing orders of Parliament.
“In appointing himself overall Leader of the Opposition in Parliament 1st Respondent (Tshabangu) has placed himself above his seniors in the hierarchy of the party and thereby disrespecting the organizational integrity of the party,” Ncube said.
“From the self-appointed, non-existent position he has waged a reign of terror against 1st Applicants members of Parliament constantly threatening them with recalls when he is fully aware that he is interdicted by order of this Honourable Court from doing such recalls.”
The CCC has been plagued by internal divisions since opposition leader, Nelson Chamisa, resigned as party leader in January this year.
Ncube was appointed leader of the CCC faction after Chamisa resigned in protest following a recall of his Members of Parliament (MPs) by Tshabangu, triggering by-elections..