The Welshman Ncube-led MDC faction on Sunday hinted Umzingwane MP Nomalanga Khumalo could be expelled from the party following her recent public attack on the party leader.
MDC national organising secretary Qhubani Moyo told NewsDay yesterday Khumalo could also be censured for allegedly working in cahoots with the Morgan Tsvangirai-led MDC-T to discredit Ncube’s faction.
“Like the president said a few weeks ago, anyone found working against the interests of the party will find their way out of the party and government positions gotten through the party,” Moyo said.
“We will not hesitate to kick them out. We are already in election mode. In fact Khumalo is to us what Tracey Mutinhiri was to Zanu PF. Both are working with Morgan Tsvangirai under cover of darkness.”
Last week, Ncube described MPs in his faction as incompetent and accused them of working against the party. He allegedly said that was the reason why he had not appointed some of them to Cabinet.
But Khumalo immediately lashed out at Ncube saying she was “not a Ncube bootlicker” and did not take orders from the latter. Instead, she claimed to belong to the Arthur Mutambara faction of the MDC party.
“It shocks me to hear him say we are incompetent and disloyal when we were voted into Parliament by people on grounds that we were competent. What measure did he use to quantify or qualify our competence or incompetence? I have been in Parliament since 2000. I am the Deputy Speaker of the House of Assembly and it surprises me to hear someone who was rejected by people saying I am incompetent. Who then is more incompetent me or him?
“In any case, I do not belong to him. My president is Professor (Arthur) Mutambara. He is saying so because I have refused to be his bootlicker and I won’t be forced into worshipping him . . .” she told journalists last week.
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On Sunday, Khumalo maintained that she belonged to the Mutambara faction.
“I am one of those who disputed the outcome of the congress. What made me remain with Mutambara are the bad words levelled against me. I was donated to the MDC-T long ago, so how can I work with people who do not want me?” Khumalo asked.
“They are saying that because they have a shadow candidate called Ngqabutho Dube. Recently they painted a school in the constituency and I was never told because they wanted to launch his campaign. What is surprising is that they tried to call my councillors to attend the function, but they stood by me and refused.”
However, Moyo insisted: “The truth is that she is working with MDC-T and we have mountains of evidence of her treacherous plan to mislead the party that she was with us. In the final days towards elections she will jump ship and contest on an MDC-T ticket, leaving the party stranded and with no candidate thereby enhancing her chances of winning,” said Moyo.
“However, the party is aware of her plans. The people of Matabeleland have seen that since she was an MP for the past 10 years, she has not contributed anything towards the development of Matabeleland. It is ironic that she claims to be a descendent of King Mzilikazi yet she is pushing the interests of other regions.”
“It is very obvious that Mutambara is political history whose long stay in government is due to the benevolence of Zanu PF. She (Khumalo) is trying to divert attention to Mutambara based on the court case filed by his surrogates, but the party will have nothing of that,” said Moyo.
Khumalo said it was not fair to equate her with Mutinhiri.
“Mutinhiri is Zanu PF and I do not know what happens in her party. What makes them say that is that I do not participate in their programmes. I work with the Umzingwane community because they are the ones that put me into power.”
