CCC MP Survives Tshabangu Recall Thanks To Surname Mistake

CCC MP Survives Tshabangu Recall Thanks To Surname Mistake

A proportional representation MP for Matabeleland South under the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC), Nomathemba Ndlovu narrowly avoided a recall initiated by Sengezo Tshabangu.

The recall, which targeted 15 CCC MPs and nine senators, hit a roadblock when Tshabangu mistakenly got Ndlovu’s surname wrong.

The recall attempt, dated October 3, aimed to remove Ndlovu from office along with other CCC representatives. However, during the announcement of recalled MPs, Speaker of Parliament Jacob Mudenda omitted Ndlovu’s name without providing an explanation.

Tshabangu, the self-styled interim secretary general of CCC, clarified to ZimLive, “Parliament advised me that the surname was wrong, and the recall could not be processed because the error was significant.” The recall letter listed a “Nomathemba Sibanda – Proportional Representation” instead of Ndlovu.

Dismissed as an impostor and a Zanu PF proxy by the CCC, Tshabangu has pursued additional recalls, targeting 13 MPs and five senators, but notably excluding Ndlovu.

When asked about the possibility of attempting to recall Ndlovu again, Tshabangu remained non-committal, stating, “We will see.”

The CCC has taken legal action to challenge the recalls initiated by Tshabangu, affecting a total of 27 MPs, 14 senators, and 69 councillors. By-elections are scheduled for December 9 to fill the vacant positions resulting from the initial round of recalls on October 3.

Had Ndlovu’s recall been accepted, she would have been ineligible to participate in the upcoming by-elections, as per the rules allowing the recalling party to replace the representative elected through proportional representation.

Nomathemba Ndlovu, now in her third term as an MP, faced a previous recall in 2020 initiated by Douglas Mwonzora. Her resilience in politics stems from a tumultuous personal history, having lost relatives during the Gukurahundi in the 1980s. Ndlovu, who struggled for education, aims to assist survivors of the genocide.

In a 2018 interview, she shared her traumatic experiences: “I grew up as a traumatized child. In 1984, I had the most traumatic experience of my life when two of my uncles were shot in my presence and in front of other school children during assembly at Silozwe Primary School.”