By Delicious Mathuthu
The Sengezo Tshabangu ousted former Mkoba North Legislator and former Citizen Coalition for Change (CCC) National Organising Secretary, Amos Chibaya, has remained adamant that he still represents his constituency even outside the formal system as he was voted for by thousands of citizens during the August 23 elections, Kwedu News can reveal.
After decades of having a strangle hold on Mkoba Constituency under the opposition, and subsequently Mkoba North after the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) delimitation, Chibaya was finally ousted by self proclaimed CCC Secretary General, Tshabangu with the assistance of courts which subsequently banned the Legislator from participating in the 2024 February 3 by-elections, paving way for ZANU PF candidate, Edgar Ncube the current MP for the constituency.
Chibaya, who has represented Mkoba residents since the early 2000s says he will continue working and living with citizens of the constituency who elected him during the the 2023 harmonised elections, assisting them where he can.
In an interview during a Gweru Ward 15, Mkoba 16 business centre, resurfacing initiative by local residents, Chibaya said:
“I am here as you know that the people of Mkoba elected me on the 23rd of August 2023 to serve in this constituency of Mkoba.
“As you are aware, my recall we challenged it and it was an illegal recall so any process that came after that illegal recall is also an illegal process.
“Therefore I will remain here in Mkoba, stay in Mkoba 13… I will stay here working with the people of Mkoba, the 14 000 people who voted for me on 23rd of August 2023 have got trust in me so I will continue to work with them, I will continue to assist them wherever I can,” he said.
Chibaya, who was elected in the 23 August 2023 Harmonised Elections under
Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) with 12 555 votes, was recalled by Tshabangu who declared that he had ceased to be a member of the political party from the 14th of November 2023, along with Legislators from Chegutu West, Goromonzi South, Mkoba North, Pelandaba-Tshabalala, Seke and Zvimba East.
After the recalls and proclamation of by-elections, the Zimbabwe Election Support Network (ZESN) said Chibaya successfully filed his nomination papers at the Midlands Provincial Magistrates Courts to reclaim his seat but Tshabangu filed an application at the
High Court of Zimbabwe blocking the participation of Chibaya and all the recalled officials.
For the first time in almost two decades, Chibaya was not on the Mkoba ballot paper as the High Court granted Tshabangu’s request and barred all previously recalled Parliamentarians from contesting.
In the February by-election his successor, Ncube got 2 415 votes against Democratic Official Party’s (DOP) Patrick Tahiya who got 1 663 amid low voter turnout.
