Zimbabwe opposition denies expelling its leader

HARARE, Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe’s main opposition party, the Citizen’s Coalition for Change (CCC), has rebuffed reports that its president, Nelson Chamisa, has been expelled from the party.

The rumour followed a "press statement" supposedly issued by Sengezo Tshabangu, who purports to be the party’s interim secretary-general.

The statement announced Mr Chamisa's expulsion for a litany of charges, including embezzlement of party funds and nepotism.

The document is the subject of much social media debate, with some suggesting a party split is imminent.

This is despite FactCheckZW, a website that seeks to verify reports, dismissing the statement as a fake.

CCC’s spokesperson Promise Mkwananzi told the BBC that Mr Tshabangu was not a member of the party but a “minion” of the ruling Zanu-PF party.

Mr Mkwananzi said Mr Chamisa was “in full control of the party” and presided over a Citizens' National Assembly meeting on Wednesday.

The assembly, said to be the highest decision-making body in the party, discussed a turbulent few days for the party in which a letter written by Mr Tshabangu led to 15 CCC members losing their parliamentary seats. Protests in parliament then led to the suspension of all CCC MPs for six sittings and the docking their pay.

The assembly said the CCC's legal department would give the Speaker of parliament two weeks to rescind the recall of the 15 CCC members.

Should the Speaker refuse to comply with their request, Mr Mkwananzi said the party's MPs and councillors would "disengage" from parliament and local councils and it would "activate" unspecified "citizens' actions".