News / National
Khupe recalls Chamisa deputy and 9 more MPs
01 Oct 2020 at 17:16hrs | Views
The MDC-T recalled 10 more MDC Alliance lawmakers on Thursday, as the battle for the control of Zimbabwe's main opposition escalated.
Among those to lose their seats was MDC Alliance vice president Lynette Karenyi-Kore, a proportional representation MP for Manicaland, and Binga North lawmaker Prince Dubeko Dube, who chairs the party in Matabeleland North.
The recalls were announced by the Speaker of Parliament Jacob Mudenda in the National Assembly on Thursday, he said after receiving a letter from MDC-T secretary-general Douglas Mwonzora.
The latest recalls bring to 31 MPs and Senators, and 45 councillors including four mayors that the MDC-T has expelled.
MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirai died in February 2018 sparking intense jostling to replace him between his three deputies - Khupe, Nelson Chamisa and Elias Mudzuri.
Chamisa engineered a vote of the MDC-T's National Council which gave him interim leadership, but Khupe boycotted.
Chamisa led a coalition of parties into elections in July that year, while Khupe kept the MDC-T name and ran as a rival.
The MDC Alliance secured over 100 seats in parliament while the MDC-T got two, and Chamisa ran President Emmerson Mnangagwa close with over 2.2 million votes compared to Khupe's 45,000.
The Supreme Court in March this year ruled that Tsvangirai broke the MDC-T constitution when he appointed Mudzuri and Chamisa as his co-deputies, and therefore the MDC-T had only one vice president at the time of Tsvangirai's death - Khupe - who should have gone on as interim leader before an extraordinary congress to elect new leadership.
The court also directed that Khupe should take interim charge of the MDC-T until that congress, and that the party structures that existed at the last congress in 2014 should be re-instated.
Chamisa says his party is the MDC Alliance and not the MDC-T, but this has not stopped Khupe from seeking to take control of the Alliance, including appropriating its elected officials, offices and finances due to the party from the government based on its electoral performance.
The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission has declared that it will hold by-elections to fill vacant seats on December 5, with the nomination court due to sit on October 9.
Some of the lawmakers recalled on Thursday were Erick Murai (Higfield East), Wellington Chikombo (Glen Norah), Ethrage Kureva (Epworth), Dorcas Sibanda (PR Bulawayo), Caston Matewu (Marondera Central), Concillia Chinanzvavana (PR Mashonaland West), Suzan Matsunga (Mufakose) and Unganai Tarusenga (St Mary's).
MDC Alliance secretary general Charlton Hwende tweeted: "The continued onslaught on our MPs and councillors which has resulted in 10 MPs being illegally recalled by Douglas Mwonzora acting unilaterally and in connivance with Emmerson Mnangagwa and Zanu-PF will have serious financial and political consequences on Mwonzora as a person."
Among those to lose their seats was MDC Alliance vice president Lynette Karenyi-Kore, a proportional representation MP for Manicaland, and Binga North lawmaker Prince Dubeko Dube, who chairs the party in Matabeleland North.
The recalls were announced by the Speaker of Parliament Jacob Mudenda in the National Assembly on Thursday, he said after receiving a letter from MDC-T secretary-general Douglas Mwonzora.
The latest recalls bring to 31 MPs and Senators, and 45 councillors including four mayors that the MDC-T has expelled.
MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirai died in February 2018 sparking intense jostling to replace him between his three deputies - Khupe, Nelson Chamisa and Elias Mudzuri.
Chamisa engineered a vote of the MDC-T's National Council which gave him interim leadership, but Khupe boycotted.
Chamisa led a coalition of parties into elections in July that year, while Khupe kept the MDC-T name and ran as a rival.
The MDC Alliance secured over 100 seats in parliament while the MDC-T got two, and Chamisa ran President Emmerson Mnangagwa close with over 2.2 million votes compared to Khupe's 45,000.
The Supreme Court in March this year ruled that Tsvangirai broke the MDC-T constitution when he appointed Mudzuri and Chamisa as his co-deputies, and therefore the MDC-T had only one vice president at the time of Tsvangirai's death - Khupe - who should have gone on as interim leader before an extraordinary congress to elect new leadership.
The court also directed that Khupe should take interim charge of the MDC-T until that congress, and that the party structures that existed at the last congress in 2014 should be re-instated.
Chamisa says his party is the MDC Alliance and not the MDC-T, but this has not stopped Khupe from seeking to take control of the Alliance, including appropriating its elected officials, offices and finances due to the party from the government based on its electoral performance.
The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission has declared that it will hold by-elections to fill vacant seats on December 5, with the nomination court due to sit on October 9.
Some of the lawmakers recalled on Thursday were Erick Murai (Higfield East), Wellington Chikombo (Glen Norah), Ethrage Kureva (Epworth), Dorcas Sibanda (PR Bulawayo), Caston Matewu (Marondera Central), Concillia Chinanzvavana (PR Mashonaland West), Suzan Matsunga (Mufakose) and Unganai Tarusenga (St Mary's).
MDC Alliance secretary general Charlton Hwende tweeted: "The continued onslaught on our MPs and councillors which has resulted in 10 MPs being illegally recalled by Douglas Mwonzora acting unilaterally and in connivance with Emmerson Mnangagwa and Zanu-PF will have serious financial and political consequences on Mwonzora as a person."
Source - zimlive
