Tsvangirai to recall 18 MPs

Daniel Nemukuyu Senior Reporter
MDC-T has notified Parliament of its intention to withdraw from both the National Assembly and Senate 18 members aligned to former secretary general Tendai Biti’s Renewal Team who were elected last year on the MDC-T party ticket.

The opposition party risks losing the 18 seats if Parliament ascends to its demands considering that it made a resolution recently that it will not participate in any future elections until certain election conditions were met.

Early this year, an attempt by MDC-T to recall the parliamentarians failed after Mr Biti wrote to the Speaker of Parliament Cde Jacob Mudenda barring any withdrawal of members.

Mr Mudenda referred the case to the courts.

Now that MDC-T elected a new secretary general and other executive members, it has resolved to recall the 18 members with immediate effect based on changed circumstances.

Addressing a press conference in Harare yesterday, the party’s newly elected spokesperson Mr Obert Gutu said the 18 legislators, 15 from the National Assembly and three from the Senate, ceased to be MDC-T members and that their seats must be declared vacant.

The resolution to recall the 18 was passed at the just-ended MDC-T’s fourth elective congress and the new secretary general Mr Douglas Mwonzora wrote to the Speaker of Parliament Jacob Mudenda and to the President of Senate Cde Ednah Madzongwe as required by law.

“On the hugely successful 4th congress of the MDC-T that ended around 9am on November 2, resolutions were upheld and adopted,” Mr Gutu said.

“One of the resolutions was that members of Parliament elected on the MDC-T ticket in both National Assembly and Senate must be recalled. Secretary general Mr Mwonzora wrote letters to Cde Mudenda and Cde Madzongwe notifying them as required by Section 129(k) of the Constitution.

“We have invoked Section 129(k) and 15 members of the National Assembly and three from the Senate are being recalled.”

Asked whether or not the move was not “a donation” of the seats considering MDC-T’s resolution not to participate in any election, Mr Gutu said his party will ensure that when the by-elections are called, conditions they want would have been met.

The 15 legislators are: Tendai Biti (Harare East), Willias Madzimure (Kambuzuma), Lucia Matibenga (Kuwadzana), Evelyn Masaiti (proportional representation Harare), Paul Madzore (Glen View South), Reggie Moyo (Luveve), Solomon Madzore (Dzivarasekwa), Bekithemba Nyathi (Mpopoma/Phelandaba), Moses Manyengavana (Highfield West), Albert Mhlanga (Pumula), Sipepa Nkomo (Lobengula), Roselyn Nkomo (Tsholotsho North), Settlement Chikwinya (Mbizo), Gorden Moyo (Makokoba) and Judith Mazhavazhe (proportional representation Masvingo).

The Senators are Sekai Holland (Harare), Rorana Muchihwa Dandajena (Harare) and Wachi Sibanda (Matabeleland South).

Renewal Team spokesperson Mr Jacob Mafume dismissed the decision as a nullity, saying the issue had since been resolved by the Speaker of Parliament.

“We will dismiss the decision with the contempt it deserves,” he said. “That issue was resolved by the Speaker early this year and nothing has changed. It shows a certain level of immaturity and kindergarten politics by Mwonzora.”

Mr Mafume described the MDC-T congress held at the weekend as “a praise and worship session held for Tsvangirai”.