CCC Treasurer-General Sues Tshabangu Over Alleged Unlawful Removal

Source: www.cite.org.zw

The internal turmoil within the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) has escalated into a legal battle, with Mbuso Siso filing an urgent application at the Bulawayo High Court to challenge his removal as the party's interim Treasurer-General. According to court papers dated April 8, 2026, Siso contends he was unlawfully removed by CCC Interim Secretary General Sengezo Tshabangu via a letter dated February 13, 2026. In that letter, Tshabangu announced a new leadership committee and appointed Kudakwashe Matibiri as the new interim Treasurer-General, a move Siso is now seeking to nullify.

Siso's legal challenge hinges on a detailed argument that Tshabangu's actions violated the CCC's own constitution. In his founding affidavit, Siso cites Article 9.1.2.3, which he states reserves the power to supervise office bearers and recommend suspension to the party president—a position currently vacant. He further references Article 12, which requires a two-thirds majority vote of the National Council to commence disciplinary proceedings against National Standing Committee members, and Article 6.4.2.1, which places removal powers solely with the National Council via a secret ballot. Siso asserts he received no charge sheet, notice, or opportunity to be heard before his dismissal, calling it a "flagrant violation of the principles of natural justice."

To bolster his case, Siso has attached several key documents to his court application. These include the CCC Constitution, an October 7, 2023 letter from the Interim National Council appointing him as interim Treasurer-General—co-signed by both himself and Tshabangu—and various official correspondences to state institutions like the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) that list him as an authorised party contact. He also submitted a cease-and-desist letter he sent to Tshabangu on March 3, 2026, which he says went unanswered, prompting the court action.

In his draft order, Siso asks the High Court to declare his removal null and void and to affirm his status as the constitutionally recognised interim Treasurer-General. He seeks an interdict to restrain Tshabangu and anyone claiming authority through him from interfering with his duties or accessing party funds and assets, warning that urgent court intervention is needed to "prevent further irreparable harm to the Party and its governance structures." Siso has also requested that Tshabangu be ordered to pay legal costs. Tshabangu has ten days from being served the notice to file an opposing affidavit.

While this political drama unfolds, a separate and stark crisis of governance is affecting citizens in Binga district, according to reports. Families there are being forced to use fertiliser, wet sand, and banana leaves to preserve the bodies of deceased relatives because the mortuary at Binga District Hospital has not been fully operational for a long time. The problems are attributed to persistent electricity interruptions and refrigeration equipment that broke down before 2022 and has never been repaired.

In response to this dire situation, Binga North MP Fanuel Cumanzala filed a formal question in Parliament demanding the Minister of Health and Child Care outline plans to address the hospital's issues. As of April 7, 2026, the Minister had not yet responded to the parliamentary inquiry, leaving families in the district to cope with the distressing and unhygienic practice of alternative body preservation. These parallel crises—one of political legitimacy and internal party democracy, and another of basic public service failure—highlight different facets of the challenges facing Zimbabwean institutions and citizens.

Related topics: CCC, Citizens Coalition for Change, Mbuso Siso, Sengezo Tshabangu, internal crisis, leadership dispute, court challenge, Zimbabwe politics, opposition party, party constitution

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