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Deputy Speaker expelled from party

Politics
GWANDA — MDC leader Welshman Ncube has expelled Umzingwane MP and Deputy Speaker of Parliament Nomalanga Khumalo from his party accusing her of working with the MDC-T. Speaking after a rally which Khumalo snubbed on Saturday, Ncube said it was evident she was unfit to represent his party in any election. “Her departure is not […]

GWANDA — MDC leader Welshman Ncube has expelled Umzingwane MP and Deputy Speaker of Parliament Nomalanga Khumalo from his party accusing her of working with the MDC-T.

Speaking after a rally which Khumalo snubbed on Saturday, Ncube said it was evident she was unfit to represent his party in any election.

“Her departure is not a painful loss to the MDC family. That is her democratic decision. We work as a team and in a team if a player gets injured you substitute him, you don’t dissolve the team,” said Ncube.

Ncube said Khumalo had decided to cross the floor to join a rival faction led by Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara, adding she could not continue to be their member.

He said it was unfortunate the Deputy Speaker was using Mutambara as a shield when in actual fact she belonged to the MDC-T.

Khumalo is the only MP from the MDC who has publicly pledged her loyalty to Mutambara while disowning Ncube.

“But it’s something else if a member of Team A decides to play for Team B,” Ncube said. “It becomes clear that the member is as good as not being a player. That is the case with MaKhumalo.”

The law stipulates that if a House of Assembly member is expelled from their party, he or she ceases to be a Member of Parliament and their seat should be declared vacant.

MDC-T deputy organising secretary Abedinico Bhebhe, Njabuliso Mguni and Norman Mpofu lost their seats under similar circumstances.

Khumalo fell out with Ncube after the latter 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.

Incensed by the remarks, Khumalo immediately lashed out at Ncube, saying she was “not a Ncube bootlicker” and did not take orders from him.

Instead, she claimed to belong to the Mutambara faction.

Khumalo could not be reached for comment yesterday.