By A Correspondent| The highly anticipated February 3rd by-elections in Zimbabwe face a fresh hurdle, stemming from a ZANU PF engineered chaos within the opposition Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC).

Self-proclaimed party secretary-general Sengezo Tshabangu has launched a legal challenge to block 23 CCC candidates from participating, accusing them of falsely claiming party affiliation.

This move casts uncertainty on the elections and raises questions about the legitimacy of Tshabangu’s leadership.

Tshabangu, whose controversial recalls of CCC MPs after the disputed August elections sparked internal turmoil, argues that these candidates “ceased to belong” to the party.

His contested position as interim secretary-general fuels the internal rift.

Citing a previous judgement upholding his recall authority, he claims the 23 candidates are ineligible to hold office under the CCC banner, accusing them of “contempt of court” and “forgery” for seeking nomination under the party’s name.

This development throws the by-elections into uncertainty. It threatens to disenfranchise CCC voters and disrupts the electoral process.

It also raises questions about the legitimacy of Tshabangu’s leadership and the ongoing internal disputes within the opposition.