Gutu West Constituency

Due to the death of independent candidate Christopher Mutonhori before the general election on 23 August 2023, the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission cancelled the parliamentary election in the Gutu West constituency in terms of Section 50 of the Electoral Act, which stipulates that should a candidate die before the election, the nominations are declared null and void.^[7][8] After the general elections, president Emmerson Mnangagwa proclaimed on 22 September 2023 that the by-election would be held on 11 November 2023.^[9]

Recall of CCC members

On 3 October 2023, Sengezo Tshabangu, who claimed to be the interim Secretary-General of the Citizens Coalition for Change, recalled 15 members of the National Assembly (9 constituency MPs, 5 women's quota MPs and 1 youth quota MP), 9 senators and 17 councilors mainly from Bulawayo.^[10][11][12] The CCC disputed Tshabangu's authority and the CCC president Nelson Chamisa wrote to National Assembly speaker Jacob Mudenda to disregard Tshabangu's letter.^[13]

In spite of Chamisa's protests, Mudenda wrote to the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission declaring the seats vacant, while the Local Government minister Winston Chitando notified the city councils about the vacant council seats.^[14][15] On 20 October 2023, president Mnangagwa proclaimed 9 December 2023 as the date for the by-elections.^[16] The Harare High Court rejected the expelled CCC MPs' appeal to be reinstated on 4 November 2023.^[17] On 7 November 2023, the Nomination Court sat to receive papers from candidates for the by-elections.^[18]

The CCC had been hit hard by double candidacy during the August general election, as Sengezo Tshabangu’s camp fielded its own set of candidates using the same party name.^[19][20]

Political violence

In November 2023, Citizens Coalition for Change activist Tapfumaneyi Masaya was kidnapped and murdered while campaigning.^[21] This was just a fortnight after CCC lawmaker Takudzwa Ngadziore was reportedly abducted and tortured.^[21]