Hlalo takes a swipe at Mwonzora, MDC-T

Former Bulawayo senator, Matson Hlalo has distanced himself from the Douglas Mwonzora led MDC-T, saying he will never join the party.

Hlalo, a former Bulawayo councillor, was responding to a social media post by an MDC-T member who claimed that he was part of the Mwonzora group.

"Me and Mwonzora are like oil and water," Hlalo said.

"We do not mix at all. The last time when I had contact with him was several years ago when he caused my expulsion from Parliament.

"Mwonzora made sure that the letter of expulsion was hidden from me so that I could not challenge the purported reasons for my dismissal from the party which eventually led to my expulsion from Parliament."

Hlalo was recalled from Parliament in 2015 when Mwonzora was secretary general of the MDC-T.

He was accused of defying late MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirai after he challenged the election of Gift Banda as provincial chairperson of the party in court.

Bulawayo MDC Alliance provincial spokesperson Swithern Chirowodza said Mwonzora's group was desperate, hence the habit of claiming that people who had nothing to do with the party were its members.

"This is not the first time that the MDC-T has claimed membership to people who are not their members," Chirowodza said.

"We are not surprised by this command membership, which the party is trying to borrow from their colleagues Zanu-PF."

MDC-T and MDC Alliance are locked in a raging war over the party name and legitimacy issues.