MDC-T confirms three MDC Renewal councilors sought readmission

The MDC-T Bulawayo provincial executive has confirmed that three of its councilors who had joined the MDC-Renewal approached the party seeking readmission.

This was after all ward councilors who had left the party had been advised of the move to recall them soon.

MDC-T Bulawayo deputy spokesperson Felix Magalela Mafa Sibanda confirmed that Shiela Musonda, Lilian Mlilo and Gladys Masuku have since approached the provincial executive seeking readmission.

He said this happened after the party had notified all Bulawayo councilors who had defected to join the MDC Renewal of their looming recalling in terms of section 278 (1) as read together with section 129 (1) of the Zimbabwe Constitution.

"Those who have approached us are Mlilo, Musonda and Masuku. The provincial executive passed a resolution to the effect that the position of the party is that due process must be done first and those readmitted have to start at branch level," said Mafa Sibanda. "The resolutions were that defectors as sitting councilors their seats be declared vacant and open for council by elections as per the law of the country."

Mafa Sibanda's remarks are contrary to the MDC Renewal's statements as the party's provincial chairman Amen Mpofu last week said only Musonda had indicated to him that she is going back to the MDC-T. While he said Mlilo and Masuku claimed to have signed the letters of defection under duress and they were still the MDC Renewal members.

Mpofu said only Musonda had gone back to MDC-T due to promises made to councilors by the government that they will get a pay of $1000 and she feared losing out if she was recalled. He said he was also promised a stand at Bellevue suburbs.

Mafa Sibanda however said as the MDC-T is a party of the people they believe in the big tent concept where by everyone is accommodated as long as he or she believes the values and founding principles of the genuine MDC, the party welcomes all once its prodigal daughters or sons when they have seen light once more.

He said the councilors must blame Tendai Biti the MDC Renewal secretary general to have given them false hope and fortunes while he (Biti) well knew as a lawyer that what he was doing was illegal and cannot stand the test of law now and in future.

"Time has come to join the big tent struggle together to attain the founding goals of the MDC in 1999 and not otherwise," said Mafa Sibanda.

The developments came after the MDC-T successfully filed letters seeking the recall of 21 MPs who had ditched the party to form the MDC Renewal Team and later united with the MDC led by Welshman Ncube to for the United MDC.

Musonda, who recently tried to deny ever defecting to MDC-Renewal, was exposed through a video when she was last year in October paraded during the unveiling of the defectors by the mdc Renewal.

This was after she vehemently said she was never part of the MDC-Renewal.

The video clip captures her saying there were 13 other councillors who defected to MDC-Renewal and since October she has been active at MDC-Renewal functions.  Late last year she voted with other 14 councillors in a bid to oust Bulawayo mayor Martin Moyo and deputy Gift Banda.

There were fears that the MDC-T was planning to recall rebel councillors, just as it did with legislators that crossed the floor to MDC-Renewal.

The three councilors wrote letters to the MDC-T reaffirming their status as loyal members of the party and denying having defected to the MDC Renewal.