admin
Zvamaida Murwira Harare Bureau
PARLIAMENT yesterday expelled three Members of Parliament belonging to Zanu-PF after the revolutionary party wrote to the August House notifying it that they had ceased to represent its interests.
The trio of Ray Kaukonde (Marondera Central) Kudakwashe Bhasikiti (Mwenezi East) and David Butau (Mbire) lost their seats yesterday after Zanu-PF wrote to the Speaker of the National Assembly Advocate Jacob Mudenda notifiying him that the three no longer represented the party’s interests as envisaged by Section 129 of the Constitution.
The three were part of the seven Members expelled from Zanu-PF after they were linked to the putschist cabal led by former Vice-President Joice Mujuru that sought to topple President Robert Mugabe ahead of the 6th National People’s Congress in December last year.
The other four are: Olivia Muchena, Dzikamai Mavhaire, Claudious Makova and Kudakwashe Gope.
Muchena and Mavhaire are Senators and an announcement on their fate is still to be made.
Announcing the expulsion, acting Speaker of the National Assembly Cde Melody Dziva, said Parliament had received notification from Zanu-PF yesterday that the trio had ceased to belong to it.
“With regards to the same matter I must also notify this House that I’ve received an urgent chamber application filed at the High Court by Hon Bhasikiti and Hon Butau seeking to bar the Speaker from declaring the seat vacant in terms of Section 129(1)(k) of the Constitution, but that can’t stop the Speaker from exercising his duty in terms of the Constitution as he is not bound by a court application filed as the order sought has not yet been granted,” said Cde Dziva while delivering the ruling on behalf of Adv Mudenda.
“It’s vital that at this point I mention that the notification of the Speaker by the party concerned that a member has ceased to represent its interests in the National Assembly and Parliament is all that is required at law to create a vacancy and the Speaker to declare the seat vacant.”
She said the duty of the Speaker was explained by the Supreme Court in a case of Abednico Bhebhe and others versus the National Disciplinary Committee of the MDC in 2009, where Justice Cheda said upon receipt of notification parliament’s presiding officer was bound to declare the seat vacant.
“Hon Members to that extent the position of the Constitution is unambiguous regarding the declaration of a vacant seat. Consequently, the vacancies have arisen in Marondera Central, Mwenezi East and Mbire by operation of the law,” she said.
Bhasikiti, who was sitting in the Chamber right at the front row reserved for Cabinet Ministers, listened to the ruling while fidgeting with his mobile phone.
Soon after the ruling was made, he rose and bowed as per procedure before walking out.
Messrs Kaukonde and Butau were not in the Chamber.
MDC-T MPs could be heard shouting “People First” in reference to a debate Bhasikiti made on Tuesday in which he continuously used the phrase that was eventually seen as a way of propping up their pending political party.
The trio join Messrs Temba Mliswa and Didymus Mutasa who were also expelled from Parliament after they were fired from Zanu-PF alongside Rugare Gumbo and Jabulani Sibanda.
Zanu-PF has since suspended 141 people in recent weeks over their involvement in clandestine activities to illegally remove President Mugabe in support of Mujuru.
Online Reporter