By Political Reporter- The Parliament of Zimbabwe has said that the ongoing recalls of CCC members of Parliament are made by Sengezo Tshabangu using his party constitution.

Kennedy Chokuda, the Clerk of Parliament, emphasised that recalls and withdrawals are decisions made by the political parties that sponsored the candidates.

Parliament’s role is to announce the party’s decisions based on official correspondence received.

Tshabangu’s recalls have impacted more than half of the elected CCC MPs from the August 23, 2023, elections, subsequently giving Zanu PF a majority in Parliament through by-elections.

Chokuda addressed misconceptions among the public, making it clear that Parliament does not initiate recalls.

Instead, when a party communicates its decision to withdraw a member, Parliament merely announces the outcome.
Speaking to students from the Zimbabwe National Defence University during a tour of the new Parliament building in Mt Hampden, Mr. Chokuda highlighted Parliament’s role in national security. He underlined that Parliament’s announcements follow the constitutional process outlined in Section 129 (K) of the Constitution, initiated by the political party concerned.
Chokuda pointed out that attempts by recalled members to intervene after the party’s decision has been communicated are futile. Once the party officially communicates the recall, the constitutional process takes its course, and only the Constitutional Court has the authority to halt it.
Addressing the process of notifying the President and the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) about a parliamentary vacancy, Mr. Chokuda stressed that the Speaker of the National Assembly or Senate president would be acting within their constitutional mandate. He reiterated that the Constitutional Court had previously ruled, in the case of Tendai Biti vs the Speaker, that parliamentary officials have no role in adjudicating disputes within political parties.