Welshman Ncube expelled from MDC?

FRESH turmoil has hit the MDC Alliance after a member of the Welshman Ncube-led MDC purported to have expelled the party leadership for aligning themselves with the Nelson Chamisa-led formation and threatened to recall four MPs from Parliament.

A letter by Shipikai Mandaza, who described himself as interim leader of the MDC-N, stated that the party leader Welshman Ncube, Dzivarasekwa MP Edwin Mushoriwa, who was the deputy president and four other senior members of the party were no longer members of the MDCN after aligning with Chamisa.

Mandaza was reacting to the suspension last week of four top officials by the MDC-N for attending a meeting convened by the Douglas Mwonzora-led MDC-T on August 3, 2021.

The four, Mandaza, Christopher Monera (secretary for policy and research), Munhangu Musevenzo (secretary for training and political education) and Gift Kurupati (national council member) were set to appear before a disciplinary hearing, according to Faruoh Jele, the alliance national disciplinary committee chairperson.

Mandaza told NewsDay yesterday that he was the interim leader of the party, adding that he would fight to ensure the recall of Mushoriwa from Parliament and other elected officials.

"If you join another political party, automatically you would have expelled yourself from the MDC-N," he said, adding that Ncube, Mushoriwa and four other senior party officials had ceased to be members by joining the MDC Alliance.

"We cannot, therefore, have a situation where we have Ncube as our president and him being vice-president of the MDC Alliance. You cannot play for Highlanders and Dynamos football clubs at the same time," Mandaza said.

On the fate of MPs and other elected officials, Mandaza added: "We will sit and talk to them to map the way forward. We have one proportional representative and three elected MPs."

In a letter to the MDC, Mandaza said Jele was no longer a member of the party, adding that the integration of the MDC, MDC Alliance and other parties was not agreed to in a constitutional manner, hence it was a nullity.

"There are no 2019 national council resolutions to integrate MDC with factions of MDC-T and the People's Democratic Party.

"As MDC (Green) and in accordance with our constitution, we are putting in place measures to effect leadership renewal to replace all those who ditched the party."

But the Ncube-led MDC through its spokesperson Kurauone Chihwai responded saying: "The four are still suspended and will soon appear before a properly constituted disciplinary committee. I cannot comment much about cases that are before the party disciplinary committee.

"They will be given an opportunity to defend themselves. The integration process was given nod by the MDC national council and it is the same national council that can appoint or remove anyone from office, not individuals.