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Zvamaida Murwira Harare Bureau
THE MDC-T has relaunched its bid to expel 18 MPs from Parliament after the opposition party wrote a letter to the Speaker of the National Assembly, Cde Jacob Mudenda, last Thursday imploring him to eject them from the chamber for leaving the party to form the MDC Renewal.
MDC Renewal has since formed a coalition party, UMDC, with the MDC formation led by Professor Welshman Ncube.
MDC-T secretary-general Douglas Mwonzora said they had re-submitted a letter to Cde Mudenda to act on the “errant” MPs in terms of the Constitution.
But MDC Renewal has vowed it would fight to keep their legislators in Parliament.
The letter to Cde Mudenda by MDC-T coincided with Buhera West MP Cde Oliver Mandipaka (Zanu-PF)’s efforts to have the 18 expelled from Parliament after he rose on a point of order last Thursday requesting the Speaker of the National Assembly Cde Mudenda to eject those MPs who abandoned MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirai.
Cde Mandipaka said the case of the MPs was similar with that of former Headlands MP Didymus Mutasa and Hurungwe West MP Temba Mliswa who were expelled from Parliament after Zanu-PF wrote to Cde Mudenda saying the duo no longer represented the revolutionary party’s interests.
Cde Mudenda confirmed receiving the letter from MDC-T.
“Indeed I have received that letter. I’m now dealing with it. I cannot tell when I’ll be through,” he said.
In an interview on Friday, Mwonzora said they had written another letter to Cde Mudenda to have the ‘rebel’ MPs removed from the Chamber because they no longer represented the MDC-T, the party under which they were elected.
“We’ve resubmitted our notification in terms of the law,” said Mwonzora.
He said there were no longer any pending court cases which was the basis Cde Mudenda had cited in dismissing their earlier notification last year.
“The MDC-T held its congress last year which nobody has challenged. Under the same circumstances Zanu-PF withdrew its MPs. The two cases must be treated the same,” he said.
MDC Renewal spokesperson Jacob Mafume dismissed the letter by MDC-T saying there was nothing that had changed that would warrant Cde Mudenda to interfere with an earlier ruling last year when approached with the same request.
In his ruling last year, Cde Mudenda had urged the parties to approach the courts to determine which camp had legitimate party to hold claim on MPs in Parliament following the party’s split.
“The Speaker of the National Assembly has already made a ruling. Forming a coalition is not prohibited under our laws. We’re going to write a letter to the Speaker advising that there are no changed circumstances that would warrant him to interfere with his earlier ruling,’ said Mafume.
On Tuesday, Mutasa and Mliswa were expelled from Parliament after Cde Mudenda upheld a letter written by Zanu-PF secretary for administration, Cde Ignatious Chombo, that the duo no longer represented the party.
Some of those MPs that had left MDC-T were Tendai Biti (Harare East), Willias Madzimure (Kambuzuma), Lucia Matibenga (Kuwadzana), Evelyn Masaiti (proportional representation), Paul Madzore (Dzivarasekwa), Bekhitemba Nyathi (Mpopoma/Pelandaba) and Moses Manyengavana (Highfield West).
Others were Albert Mhlanga (Pumula), Samuel Sipepa Nkomo (Lobengula), Roseline Nkomo (Tsholotsho North), Settlement Chikwinya (Mbizo), Judith Muzhavazhe (proportional representation) and Gorden Moyo (Makokoba).
Other representatives facing expulsion include Senators Sekai Holland (Chizhanje), Rorana Muchihwa (Chikomo) and Watchy Sibanda (Matabeleland South).
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