News / Local
MDC-T humiliates Dorcas Sibanda
13 Apr 2015 at 02:23hrs | Views
MDC-T Bulawayo Central MP Dorcas Sibanda was humiliated after she was barred from attending last week's party national council meeting in Harare.
The lawmaker sought to attend the meeting in the capital at which the party resolved not to contest in the forthcoming by-elections as she has insisted that she is the acting chairperson.
MDC-T has dismissed her claims, with the opposition party's spokesperson Obert Gutu saying Nomvulo Mguni is the legitimate chairperson while Sibanda is her deputy.
According to the MDC-T constitution, chairpersons attend national council meeings, while their deputies are not eligible.
It is alleged that Sibanda went to Harare looking forward to participating in the meeting and was later barred from entering the venue at the party's Harvest House headquarters as Mguni was recognised.
"We don't know what Sibanda is trying to prove. She went to Harare with the hope of attending the meeting but was turned away after a roll call was made. She was chucked out of the meeting," said a source.
Sibanda declined to comment yesterday saying she cannot talk on internal party issues.
Gutu confirmed seeing Sibanda milling around Harvest House on the day the national council meeting was held.
"We don't chuck people out of meetings but Dorcas Sibanda isn't a member of the national council. The meeting was attended by people who were supposed to attend the meeting.
"I remember seeing Dorcas but I don't know what she wanted," said Gutu.
Former MDC-T Bulawayo provincial leader Gift Banda said 12 people from the province attended the meeting and Sibanda was not on the list.
"Dorcas is not the chairperson of the province hence she wasn't supposed to go in the first place. The province sent 12 people, Nomvulo Mguni as the chairperson," said Banda.
"People who were supposed to attend included chairperson, secretary, treasurer, organising secretary, chairperson of women, secretary of women league, chairperson of youth wing, secretary of youth wing, secretary for information and three provincial members."
Sibanda is accused of fanning divisions in the province and running parallel structures like the MDC Veteran Activists Association.
The MP insists that she is the acting provincial chairperson but in a recent interview, the party's organising secretary Abednico Bhebhe warned that Sibanda could be expelled if she continued to defy the party.
The lawmaker sought to attend the meeting in the capital at which the party resolved not to contest in the forthcoming by-elections as she has insisted that she is the acting chairperson.
MDC-T has dismissed her claims, with the opposition party's spokesperson Obert Gutu saying Nomvulo Mguni is the legitimate chairperson while Sibanda is her deputy.
According to the MDC-T constitution, chairpersons attend national council meeings, while their deputies are not eligible.
It is alleged that Sibanda went to Harare looking forward to participating in the meeting and was later barred from entering the venue at the party's Harvest House headquarters as Mguni was recognised.
"We don't know what Sibanda is trying to prove. She went to Harare with the hope of attending the meeting but was turned away after a roll call was made. She was chucked out of the meeting," said a source.
Sibanda declined to comment yesterday saying she cannot talk on internal party issues.
"We don't chuck people out of meetings but Dorcas Sibanda isn't a member of the national council. The meeting was attended by people who were supposed to attend the meeting.
"I remember seeing Dorcas but I don't know what she wanted," said Gutu.
Former MDC-T Bulawayo provincial leader Gift Banda said 12 people from the province attended the meeting and Sibanda was not on the list.
"Dorcas is not the chairperson of the province hence she wasn't supposed to go in the first place. The province sent 12 people, Nomvulo Mguni as the chairperson," said Banda.
"People who were supposed to attend included chairperson, secretary, treasurer, organising secretary, chairperson of women, secretary of women league, chairperson of youth wing, secretary of youth wing, secretary for information and three provincial members."
Sibanda is accused of fanning divisions in the province and running parallel structures like the MDC Veteran Activists Association.
The MP insists that she is the acting provincial chairperson but in a recent interview, the party's organising secretary Abednico Bhebhe warned that Sibanda could be expelled if she continued to defy the party.
Source - chronicle
