“I’m Not President Of Any Political Party”, Biti Responds To Tshabangu

Source: “I’m Not President Of Any Political Party”, Biti Responds To Tshabangu

Former Harare East MP Tendai Biti (CCC) has distanced himself from an announcement by the party’s self-proclaimed Interim Secretary General Sengezo Tshabangu that he (Biti) has taken over as co-president of the party alongside Welshman Ncube.

Tshabangu on Tuesday, 10 October issued a statement in which he said CCC president Nelson Chamisa has been expelled from the party.

He said Chamisa had been dismissed from the party for embezzlement of party funds, personalisation of the party, collaboration with ZANU PF and former ZANU PF members, and the imposition of candidates resulting in the loss of some constituencies and wards throughout the country, among other charges. Tshabangu added:

With Immediate effect, Professor Welshman Ncube and Advocate Tendai Biti are acting presidents until the party convenes an Extraordinary Congress on the dates to be advised and all official communication will be coming from the interim Secretary General’s Office.

However, posting on X, Biti said he was not the president of any party and demanded that his privacy and dignity should be respected. He said:

I am not the President of any political party. I refuse to be drawn into this mess. May my privacy and dignity be respected.

Biti and Tshabangu were among MDC members who broke away from the party after the 2014 elective congress to form the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

PDP was officially launched on 11 September 2015 at its first congress. In 2017 the party joined the MDC-Alliance to form a united front to contest the 2018 elections.