News / National
MDC-T returnees to face disciplinary action
10 Apr 2014 at 07:56hrs | Views
THE Movement for Democratic Change (MDC-T) this week said it will subject some of the returning members who were either expelled or left the party on their own volition to disciplinary hearings, the Financial Gazette can report.
Party leader, Morgan Tsvangirai, has been extending an olive branch to members who broke ranks with him and others who were expelled from the party to enable the MDC-T to confront Zanu-PF at the next elections in 2018 at full strength.
Among members who have taken heed of Tsvangirai's calls for a united front are MDC99 leader, Job Sikhala, Joubert Mudzumwe, Edward Mkhosi and Edwin Ncube. Others include former Gweru mayor, Tedious Chimombe, his then deputy Taurai Demo and two other former Gweru councillors. But party national spokesperson, Douglas Mwonzora, this week said it would not be automatic for some of the returnees to be accepted back into the MDC-T fold. He said the party would review each member's case and some would be brought before the party's disciplinary committee.
"…Let me hasten to say that in as much as we welcome members back into the party, we will review cases of each member and depending on the matter some of the members coming back will be subjected to disciplinary action before they are fully admitted into the party," said Mwonzora.
Disciplinary proceedings, according to MDC-T insiders, may apply to about 12 former councillors who were expelled from the party in 2012 on allegations of corruption and abuse of office.
This was after the MDC-T had instituted a commission of inquiry into local authorities that were under its dominion. Mwonzora said the issue of Gweru mayor, Hamutendi Kombayi who appealed against the decision to have him revert to being an ordinary councillor, will also be reviewed. Kombayi was ordered to revert to being an ordinary councillor after he defied a party directive when he accepted a mayoral nomination ahead of the party's preferred candidate, Charles Chikozho.
Meanwhile, Tsvangirai continues on a campaign trail to bring back former members of the party following an internal strife led by senior members of the party who are calling on him to step down. The party's secretary general Tendai Biti and suspended deputy treasurer general Elton Mangoma are believed to be the brains behind calls for leadership renewal in the MDC-T.
Party leader, Morgan Tsvangirai, has been extending an olive branch to members who broke ranks with him and others who were expelled from the party to enable the MDC-T to confront Zanu-PF at the next elections in 2018 at full strength.
Among members who have taken heed of Tsvangirai's calls for a united front are MDC99 leader, Job Sikhala, Joubert Mudzumwe, Edward Mkhosi and Edwin Ncube. Others include former Gweru mayor, Tedious Chimombe, his then deputy Taurai Demo and two other former Gweru councillors. But party national spokesperson, Douglas Mwonzora, this week said it would not be automatic for some of the returnees to be accepted back into the MDC-T fold. He said the party would review each member's case and some would be brought before the party's disciplinary committee.
"…Let me hasten to say that in as much as we welcome members back into the party, we will review cases of each member and depending on the matter some of the members coming back will be subjected to disciplinary action before they are fully admitted into the party," said Mwonzora.
Disciplinary proceedings, according to MDC-T insiders, may apply to about 12 former councillors who were expelled from the party in 2012 on allegations of corruption and abuse of office.
This was after the MDC-T had instituted a commission of inquiry into local authorities that were under its dominion. Mwonzora said the issue of Gweru mayor, Hamutendi Kombayi who appealed against the decision to have him revert to being an ordinary councillor, will also be reviewed. Kombayi was ordered to revert to being an ordinary councillor after he defied a party directive when he accepted a mayoral nomination ahead of the party's preferred candidate, Charles Chikozho.
Meanwhile, Tsvangirai continues on a campaign trail to bring back former members of the party following an internal strife led by senior members of the party who are calling on him to step down. The party's secretary general Tendai Biti and suspended deputy treasurer general Elton Mangoma are believed to be the brains behind calls for leadership renewal in the MDC-T.
Source - fingaz
