SPEAKER of Parliament Lovemore Moyo and President of the Senate Edna Madzongwe yesterday said they would next week deal with a request by MDC to fire three MPs and two Senators who defected to MDC-T.
NDUDUZO TSHUMA
Zimbabwe’s constitution outlaws floor crossing and the legislators risk losing their seats before the end of the current Parliament after they applied to stand on MDC-T tickets in the next polls.
Deputy Speaker of Parliament and Umzingwane legislator Nomalanga Khumalo, Tsholotsho South MP Maxwell Dube and his Gwanda North counterpart Zinti Mnkandla as well as Senators Dalumuzi Khumalo (Lupane) and Kembo Dube (Umzingwane) had in the past claimed to belong to a faction led by Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara.
Mutambara lost the leadership of the MDC in 2011 to Welshman Ncube, but is challenging his ouster in the courts.
MDC secretary-general Priscilla Misihairabwi-Mushonga, in separate letters dated April 10, said the five seats should be declared vacant.
Moyo, who is also MDC-T chairman, said he would only be able to attend to the matter next week.
“I am not at the office now. I will be there next week. That is when I will look into the matter,” he said.
- Chamisa under fire over US$120K donation
- Mavhunga puts DeMbare into Chibuku quarterfinals
- Pension funds bet on Cabora Bassa oilfields
- Councils defy govt fire tender directive
Keep Reading
Madzongwe also said she was out of Harare and would only be able to attend to the matter after the Independence Day holiday.
“I haven’t seen the letters because I have been out of Harare for some time,” she said.
“If I comment now, I would be doing it out of ignorance. “I will be in Harare after the holidays and then I will look at the letters and make an informed comment.”
Clerk of Parliament Austin Zvoma, who was copied the letters, declined to comment, saying the communication was not directed to him.
“I cannot comment because the letter was not written to me, but to the Speaker of Parliament and the President of Senate otherwise if I comment, I will be offside,” he said.
MDC in 2009 caused the then Nkayi South MP Abedinico Bhebhe and his Lupane East and Bulimamangwe East counterparts Njabuliso Mguni and Norman Mpofu respectively to lose their seats for working with the MDC-T.
However, the five survived on a technicality after claiming to belong to Mutambara’s faction that was challenging Ncube’s presidency.
