Avast, ye mateys! The leader of Zimbabwe's opposition be cryin' for the return of 15 scurvy lawmakers!
2023-10-12
Avast ye! 'Tis Nelson Chamisa, the captain of Zimbabwean opposition, who be summonin' for the return of 15 fine lawmakers from his liberal band o' swashbucklers, the Citizens Coalition for Change party. Aye, he be wantin' 'em back, and no mistake!
Zimbabwe's main opposition leader, Nelson Chamisa, has called for the reinstatement of 15 lawmakers from his party who were removed from their positions due to a fraudulent letter. Chamisa claims that this move by the ruling ZANU-PF party is an attempt to silence the opposition. This issue has further intensified the political tension in Zimbabwe since President Emmerson Mnangagwa's controversial re-election in August.The lawmakers from Chamisa's Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) party were removed after a man, claiming to be the secretary-general of the CCC, sent a letter to Speaker of Parliament Jacob Mudenda withdrawing them. However, Chamisa argues that the man had no authority in his party and was an impostor. Despite Chamisa's objections, Mudenda, a ZANU-PF official, still removed the lawmakers and declared their seats vacant. This led to a protest in Parliament by other CCC lawmakers, who were subsequently ejected by the police.
In response, the CCC has announced its boycott of parliamentary business until the 15 lawmakers are reinstated, further deepening the political divide after the disputed elections. Chamisa has also accused Mnangagwa and ZANU-PF of post-election intimidation and violence.
The Justice Minister, Ziyambi Ziyambi, denied any government or ruling party involvement in the removal of the opposition lawmakers and stated that others would also lose their positions if they missed 21 consecutive Parliament sittings. Although ZANU-PF retained control of Parliament, it did not achieve a two-thirds majority necessary to change the constitution and potentially extend Mnangagwa's leadership beyond two terms.
Mnangagwa, who took power after a coup in 2017, promised democratic reforms but is now being accused of being as repressive as his predecessor, Robert Mugabe. The situation in Zimbabwe remains tense, with opposition calls for internationally-supervised redos of the controversial election and continued allegations of political manipulation.