HARARE – The Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) led by Welshman Ncube says appointments to parliamentary portfolio committees made by Sengezo Tshabangu in a letter to the Speaker were not made by the party.
On Thursday, in Parliament, Tshabangu was announced as the overall leader of the opposition in Parliament in charge of the Senate while Chikanga MP Lynette Karenyi-Kore now leads CCC legislators in the National Assembly.
CCC spokesman Jacob Mafume said the party is consulting with the Speaker in a bid to reverse the appointments by Tshabangu, who styles himself as the main opposition’s secretary general.
“The Standing Committee noted the correct decision namely the rescission of the appointments made by Jameson Timba, and therefore notes the rescission effected by the Speaker of Parliament, Hon Mudenda on the 29th of May 2024.
“However, the leadership noted that the new appointments made on the 30th of May 2024 were done without the involvement of the Citizens Coalition for Change as led by Professor Welshman Ncube, and prior to party organs having met to deliberate on the matter.
“Consequently, and after deliberations, the Standing Committee noted that, to the extent that those engagements with the Speaker of Parliament have been ongoing, these ought to continue with a view to rectify the anomaly and to ensure that the new appointments are legitimate,” Mafume said.
Tshabangu, who is the Matabeleland North Senator, is also now a member of the International Parliamentary Union Delegation together with Sunningdale MP Maureen Kademaunga.
Other members of the IPU were named while Karenyi was also appointed to the SADC parliamentary forum.
Some the duties of a leader of opposition in Parliament includes constituting portfolio committees, and the appointment of chairpersons who will occupy slots earmarked for the opposition in international organisations such as the Pan African Parliament, SADC Parliamentary Forum, IPU and African, Caribbean and Pacific-European Union (ACP-EU).
