Zimbabwe's main opposition leader Nelson Chamisa says his party will not participate in what he described as "criminal" by-elections to fill 15 seats for members who were controversially recalled from parliament.

The seats were left vacant after a man, who declared himself as the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) party’s interim secretary-general, said the MPs were no longer members.

Consequently, by-elections have been scheduled for 9 December after the parliamentary speaker declared the seats vacant earlier this month.

Mr Chamisa dismissed the recalling of the lawmakers, saying Sengezo Tshabangu, the self-declared secretary-general of the party, was an "impostor".

In an interview on Wednesday, Mr Chamisa said his party will not "waste time" participating in the "unconstitutional" by-elections.

"We don’t participate in crime," he added.

A case challenging the recall of the MPs will be heard on 2 November.