HARARE – Sengezo Tshabangu says he cannot take blame for failure to field candidates in five council wards snatched recently by Zanu PF after recalled CCC councillors were blocked from taking part in the February 3 by-election.
The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) declared as automatic winners, five Zanu PF candidates who were vying for council seats in Harare, Chiredzi, and Manyame RDC.
The development put spotlight on Tshabangu’s real intentions behind the recalls after he failed to field his own candidates to challenge for the seats.
There are wide claims he was a vindictive individual on Zanu PF payroll to decimate the main opposition representation in parliament and local authorities.
Reached for comment, the self-proclaimed CCC interim secretary general said the responsibility of choosing poll candidates lies with the people who live in the constituencies or wards and not him.
“It is not my responsibility to field candidates. It is the responsibility of the people in that particular ward that has been affected,” he said.
“As the officer who is there to implement the policies of the party, I’m guided by the principle that, if a member ceases, then he cannot stand whatsoever in that particular banner to represent the people.
“This was not a Tshabangu thing. It was a collective thing. This is why you have seen this programme has been consistent. If it means we remove everyone, we will do so. It doesn’t matter because that is the principle,” he said.
“We cannot change goalposts because today, there is Ostallos (Siziba) or (Amos) Chibaya.
“The principle applies to anybody.
“They knew that Tshabangu was going to come for them so there was no point for them to file.”
The politician also denied he was a Zanu PF proxy.
