Mutambara's political woes continues

DEPUTY Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara has been ditched by five legislators he shielded from being sacked from Parliament for floor crossing late last year.

The legislators who all along claimed to be aligned to DPM Mutambara's camp applied to stand on MDC-T tickets at the forthcoming harmonised elections.The five legislators Ms Nomalanga Khumalo (Umzingwane), Maxwell Dube (Tsholotsho South), Thandeko Mnkandla (Gwanda North), Senators Dalumuzi Khumalo (Lupane) and Kembo Dube (Umzingwane) were fired by the Professor Welshman Ncube-led faction last year over their links to the MDC-T.

The faction wanted them fired from Parliament for crossing the floor but were saved by Prof Mutambara when he claimed they belonged to his camp.

MDC-T spokesperson Mr Douglas Mwonzora yesterday confirmed the five had applied to stand on the MDC-T party ticket which was approved by the national council last week.

"It is true they applied to stand on MDC-T tickets and the national council accepted their applications," said Mr Mwonzora.

"They want to represent the MDC-T in the constituencies that they are currently holding except for Dalumuzi Khumalo who is a Senator but has expressed interest to stand in Lupane East as a House of Assembly Member. Senator Kembo Dube said he wanted to  be  a Senator so it was also accepted.

"We are treating these cadres as sitting MPs so they will be subjected to a confirmation exercise then after that primary elections."

Senator Dube said he was yet to be advised that his application had been accepted.

"If you are sacked you knock somewhere else until the door opens. So we are on the ground working with the people. Its news to me that the application was accepted," he said.

MDC deputy spokesperson Mr Kurauone Chihwayi said his party was vindicated because they fired the MPs for their links to the MDC-T and not Prof Mutambara.

"We knew from the start that these people were double dipping as they were running around like headless chickens.

"It was clear that they did not belong to Mutambara because he does not have a party.

"We had enough evidence linking them to Tsvangirai because they are known and documented political dissidents who have joined every political party in Zimbabwe," said Mr Chihwayi.

Chairman of the Prof Mutambara-led faction, Mr Joubert Mudzumwe, expressed ignorance over the fact that the five legislators had applied to stand on the MDC-T ticket.

"I cannot comment over that because I don't know about it since we have not yet been advised," he said.

"In fact, we think they are still our MPs.

"In actual fact we will be meeting soon as the national council to consider the applications for people who are interested in representing us. We regard those MPs as our candidates in the constituencies they are in."

Prof Mutambara wrote letters to Speaker of the House of Assembly Mr Lovemore Moyo and Senate President Cde Edna Mad­zongwe advising them to disregard attempts by the Prof Ncube-led MDC to have the leg­islators fired from Parliament for allegedly crossing the floor claiming they belonged to his faction.

The five legislators were fired alongside 49 councillors from Bulawayo, Matabeleland North and South.

It also officially expelled the already expelled legislators Mr Abdenico Bhebhe (Nkayi South), Mr Njabuliso Mguni (Bulilima East) and Mr Norman Mpofu (Lupane East) whose applications have also been accepted by the MDC-T.

MDC was left with four repre­sentatives in the House of Assembly after firing six members and four in the Senate after axing two from the Upper House.

Prof Ncube and Prof Mutambara are engaged in a fierce battle over the control of the party that resulted in the case spilling to the courts.

This came about after Prof Mutam­bara and 13 other officials challenged the validity of the congress.

The High Court confirmed the con­gress, but Prof Mutambara and the 13 officials appealed to the Supreme Court.