By Court Correspondent | In a controversial move, Speaker of Parliament Jacob Mudenda, who is implicated in war crimes, has appointed Sengezo Tshabangu, the Matabeleland North Province Senator, as the new Leader of the Opposition in Parliament. This decision comes despite clear evidence from the Interparliamentary Union (IPU) identifying Tshabangu as an imposter.

The appointment was announced this afternoon by Advocate Jacob Mudenda in the National Assembly. With this new role, Senator Tshabangu will now be the primary liaison between the Government and the opposition, handling all engagements and interactions on various issues.

As the official Leader of the Opposition, Tshabangu’s responsibilities include constituting portfolio committees and appointing chairpersons for slots reserved for the opposition in international organizations such as the Pan African Parliament (PAP), SADC Parliamentary Forum, International Parliamentary Union (IPU), and African, Caribbean and Pacific-European Union (ACP-EU), among others.

Furthermore, Tshabangu has been appointed as a member of the Parliament Standing Rules and Orders Committee, the supreme decision-making body of the legislative assembly. This appointment grants him significant influence over parliamentary procedures and decisions.

The move has sparked widespread controversy and debate, given the allegations against Tshabangu and Mudenda’s contentious history. Critics argue that this appointment undermines the integrity of the parliamentary process and raises serious questions about the legitimacy of the opposition’s leadership.