HARARE – Fadzayi Mahere resigned as MP for Mt Pleasant on Monday, days after declaring that “the tainted state of parliament, illegal suspensions and the decision by CCC president Nelson Chamisa to dissociate himself from the captured party makes it untenable for me to continue.”

The 38-year-old lawyer became the first CCC lawmaker to quit in the wake of Chamisa’s decision to leave the party he founded in 2022. Public pressure is mounting on other MPs and councillors to follow her example, but CCC insiders say most are determined to continue in their roles.

“Despite feeling a profound sense of sadness for all I had hoped we could do together to build a pleasant Mt Pleasant, I have officially submitted by resignation from parliament and will cease to be a member of CCC,” Mahere wrote on X shortly after sending her resignation letter to the Speaker.

Chamisa is poised to launch a new party after declaring that CCC has been “contaminated, bastardised and hijacked.”

His decision came after Sengezo Tshabangu, styling himself as CCC interim secretary general, recalled dozens of CCC MPs and councillors with the apparent favour of Zanu PF Speaker Jacob Mudenda and the courts.

Explaining her decision to quit, Mahere said: “Under the leadership of president Nelson Chamisa, we sought to introduce a new way of doing politics. Central to this objective was a belief that we would put the people first…

“Despite our focus on a battle of ideas and policy, the regime chose the low road of an unconstitutional onslaught on the will of the people. They used dark actors such as Mr Tshabangu. Their goal has been to force the two-thirds majority they failed to garner in August 2023 despite unprecedented electoral malpractices that left the region, and indeed the globe, in shock.

“We have seen the widespread abuse of state institutions which have handed over all levers of control of the CCC to this imposter. The assault on the will of the people, the tainted state of parliament, coupled with sundry breaches of parliamentary privilege, illegal suspensions and the decision by president Chamisa to dissociate himself from the captured CCC have made it untenable for me to continue as a member of parliament for Mt Pleasant under the CCC banner.”

In the wake of Chamisa’s departure, senior CCC figures are set to meet on Tuesday with a decision likely to be made on his successor.