MDC-T chickens out on expelling Mutare mayor, councillors

Mutare Mayor Tatenda Nhamarare and three councillors who, last year, were suspended from the Morgan Tsvangirai-led MDC-T after being accused of colluding to vote for the city's deputy mayor from Zanu-PF, have been reinstated back to the party.

The other suspended councillors who were reinstated are Farai Bhiza, Pamela Mutari and Richard Mupfura, and all on charges of misconduct relating to council elections held in Mutare on September 16 2013.

MDC-T national spokesperson Douglas Mwonzora on Tuesday confirmed the reinstatement of the councillors.

"It was a national council decision made at a meeting chaired by the national chairperson, Lovemore Moyo, to reinstate the suspended councillors.

"We found weak evidence against them and also realised that all was being caused by Julius Magarangoma (former MDC-T Manicaland Province chairperson) and his executive who wanted to destroy the party.

"We also realised that the elections were done by voting and special nominations, and that rules out the fact that they lobbied for a Zanu-PF councillor to be the deputy mayor. As we speak, Nhamarare and the councillors are members of the MDC-T though they were given a final warning," said Mwonzora.

Acting Manicaland MDC-T provincial chairperson Sure Mudiwa said he was yet to be furnished with final details of the reinstatement.

"It was a national decision and I am yet to be told of the re-instatement," said Mudiwa.

Another charge against Nhamarare was that he brought the party into disrepute by breaching its constitution after placing an advert in the local press, congratulating President Robert Mugabe for resoundingly winning the harmonised elections "against clear evidence, and the party position that the 31st July election was rigged and stolen".