Justice Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi has issued a stark warning to the Members of Parliament (MPs) from the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC). If they don’t address their internal disputes and consult the judiciary, they might face expulsion from Parliament.
The admonition follows the CCC MPs’ decision to detach from both Parliament and Local authority duties. Ziyambi highlighted that if these MPs continue to be absent from Parliament for 21 consecutive days without a valid reason, it could lead to the Speaker declaring their seats vacant.
This unfolding situation became evident after the CCC MPs clashed with Speaker Jacob Mudenda. Their refusal to vacate the House post-ejection even necessitated the intervention of anti-riot police.
Ziyambi emphasized, “It’s a party’s prerogative to engage or disengage from Parliament. But if the CCC chooses to disengage, we will enforce the pertinent laws. Those who wish to engage in the democratic process will have to be re-elected.”
He also took the opportunity to clarify that his party, Zanu PF, remains uninvolved in CCC’s predicaments. “The individual in question, Sengezo Tshabangu, claiming to be their acting secretary general, isn’t a Zanu PF member. I’ve only seen him attending CCC events,” Ziyambi stated.
On the Speaker’s role, Ziyambi commented, “The Speaker correctly acted based on received correspondences and court rulings. He isn’t there to mediate in the CCC’s internal disputes but to uphold the law.”
Meanwhile, CCC president Nelson Chamisa made public his party’s decision to disengage from all legislative and local authority duties nationwide. This bold move comes after the controversial recall of 15 of his party’s legislators, sparked by a letter from Tshabangu, who Chamisa labels an “impostor.”
