CCC recall controversy deepens as Tshabangu disowns letters targeting Coltart, MPs

By Tichaona Katsvamutima

The controversy surrounding the recall of Bulawayo Mayor David Coltart and some legislators has taken a dramatic turn after Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) interim secretary-general Sengezo Tshabangu disowned letters submitted to Parliament and the Ministry of Local Government seeking their removal from office.

Tshabangu said the correspondence, which purported to notify authorities that the affected officials had ceased to be CCC members, did not originate from the party.

CCC chief whip Nonhlanhla Mlotshwa also rejected the letters, describing them as “fake.”

Letters dated 7 October 2026, previously reported by National Interest News, purported to communicate the recall of Coltart, three members of Parliament and a senator.

The disputed notices emerged against the backdrop of political tensions in Bulawayo, where Coltart has clashed with some councillors over a proposed waste management arrangement involving Geo Pomona Waste Management, headed by businessman Dilesh Nguwaya.

However, no direct connection has been established between the dispute and the preparation of the recall letters.

Tshabangu’s rejection of the correspondence has thrown the recalls into uncertainty, with questions remaining over who issued the letters and whether Parliament or the Ministry of Local Government will take any action.

The development comes amid continuing divisions within Zimbabwe’s opposition, where disputes over party authority have previously triggered controversial recalls of elected representatives.