MDC-T threatens action over Kereke

THE MDC-T has again threatened to approach the Constitutional Court to force Parliament to declare Munyaradzi Kereke's Bikita West seat vacant and call for a by-election.

This is despite the party having already said it will not be involved in any by-elections until the electoral laws are amended.

MDC T spokesperson Obert Gutu, insisted that Kereke should be barred from attending parliamentary sessions as a legislator in line with constitutional provisions.

"We are still pursuing our argument that the Bikita West seat should be declared vacant in accordance with the provisions of Section 129(1) (l) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe that provides that the seat of a Member of Parliament becomes vacant if the member, not having been a member of a political party when he or she was elected to Parliament, becomes a member of a political party," he said.

"A Constitutional Court application shall be launched if the seat is not declared vacant."

The opposition party had said they would push for Kereke's ouster once Parliament resumed sitting.

The legislature resumed its sessions this week.

Kereke contested and won the Bikita West parliamentary seat on a Zanu-PF ticket, but later said he was an independent and not a member of the party, as the ruling party had expelled him.

Kereke used this defence after Zanu-PF tried to have him removed from the House last year.

Last October, the then Zanu-PF secretary for administration, Didymus Mutasa wrote to Speaker of Parliament Jacob Mudenda notifying him that Kereke was not a member of Zanu-PF.

In the aftermath of the Zanu-PF congress, the Bikita West legislator was reportedly readmitted into Zanu-PF, triggering the call that he should lose his seat.

The MDC-T was caught napping after the 2013 elections, as they did not challenge former Vice-President Joice Mujuru's continued stay as a parliamentarian despite her seat having automatically fallen vacant when she was appointed President Robert Mugabe's deputy.