Former Finance Minister Tendai Biti has exposed himself to have a hand or is working in Cahoot to dismantle the Citizen Coalition for Change CCC in recent recalls after being recorded by the Sources Media in a telephone conversation with a CCC supporter (name withheld) saying Sengezo Tshabangu had prematurely appointed him and Welshman Ncube to lead the opposition since Nelson Chamisa had "been expelled"

Xolisani Ncube

The Sources Media had called Biti on his Netone line at exactly 16:37 to solicit a comment after Tshabangu had announced that he was now the leader of the CCC after allegedly expelling Chamisa. When he picked up his Netone line, Biti was still engaged on another line with a CCC supporter who referred to him as "president" and it is from this conversation that the former Harare East MP let the cat out of the bag regarding his involvement in the ongoing recalls.

He told the other person on the line that Tshabangu had struck prematurely and announced him as a leader through the purported expulsion of Chamisa.

"Tell him that I'm going to tweet and say that I'm not the president of anything. So just tell him that I'm going to tweet just now" Biti told his follower who was on the other line.

When told that he was being sought after, Biti said; "Find me on this phone (number) we need to talk. I think that he (Tshabangu) has been premature. Munhu (Chamisa) anga achapera ega. Kupera ega munhu uyu (it was only just a matter of time before this (Chamisa) person was finished. He was almost finished," Biti said to the unknown person he was talking to on the other phone before hanging up the call to entertain Sources Media News Agency which was waiting on the other line. (Audio available)

Part of the recording can be found here: https://youtu.be/4jhdTOBhX_0 

Two minutes after telling the other person over the phone that he would post on his X account and distance himself, at 16:43 as promised Biti posted on X( formerly Twitter), saying “I am not the President of any political party. I refuse to be drawn into this mess. May my privacy and dignity be respected”

On October 3, Tshabangu wrote to the speaker of the National Assembly Jacob Mudenda recalling at least 15 legislators and 12 senators on allegations that they ceased to be members of the party. The Chamisa-led CCC has alleged that they don't know Tshabangu and he was not their member.

But when reached later for comment, Biti said Tshabangu was a CCC member just like him and that he was not involved in the recalls. "No, No other than that he’s a member of the CCC, I’m not working with him I’m not involved in these and I don’t want to get involved," a cheeky Biti said.

When pressed further to comment on his relationship with Tshabangu, Biti said "Of course, I’m a member of the CCC. Ah, shamwari don’t ask me what I don’t know I belong to the party led by Nelson Chamisa." Biti was pushed out of the parliamentary race after losing to Alan Markham during the party's internal polls.

The call can be found here: https://youtu.be/-PNrhB1AO_w

After the internal elections, Biti was frozen out only to resurface during the nomination day when he accompanied Chamisa to the High Court to inspect the nomination process. During the impromptu address by Chamisa, he said Biti was his brother whose service was to be useful in government had the party won the August 23 elections.

This will not be the first time Biti has clashed with his party leadership after in 2014 he left the MDC-T to form his own People’s Democratic Party.

He however failed to entice supporters to his little-known PDP and lost the Harare east constituency to Terrence Mukupe in the 2015 by-election only for him to bounce back in parliament during the 2018 under the MDC Alliance led by Chamisa,