MDC-T notifies 'rebel' MPs of recall bid

The Morgan Tsvangirai-led MDC-T has written letters notifying 21 Members of Parliament who left his party to form a splinter MDC Renewal faction of a decision to recall them from Parliament.

The letters were "smuggled" into Parliament and deposited in the concerned MPs' pigeon-holes.

Pigeon-holes are small compartments for official communication with MPs where papers and letters are deposited for their attention by officials of Parliament.

MDC-T secretary-general Mr Douglas Mwonzora wrote to all the 21 MPs letters dated March 4, 2015 informing them of their expulsion from the party and recall from Parliament.

The letters were copied to National Assembly Speaker Advocate Jacob Mudenda and Senate President Edna Madzongwe.

In a letter seen by The Herald addressed to Masvingo proportional representative Ms Judith Muzhavazhe, Mr Mwonzora said her expulsion was in line with the MDC-T congress resolution.

He said the development followed an earlier decision by the National Council to terminate her membership in terms of Section 5.10 (a) of the MDC constitution.

"This has been necessitated by your decision to form your own political party called the MDC Renewal and most recently the UMDC which are totally different entities from the party on whose ticket you hold a seat in Parliament," said Mr Mwonzora.

"Accordingly, the party has decided to recall you from Parliament with immediate effect. We also take note of the fact that you were given due notice of this congress, but you chose not to attend and make any representations thereat. By copy of this letter the Honourable Speaker is duly advised."

MDC-T spokesperson Mr Obert Gutu confirmed the development yesterday saying the 21 MPs' tenure as MPs was as good as over.

"The letters were dispatched to all the 21 rebel MPs; 17 in the National Assembly and four in the Senate this afternoon at Parliament," he said.

"These letters are merely to confirm that they were dismissed from the MDC-T in terms of one of the key resolutions of the MDC-T 4th national congress that was held in Harare in October last year.

The letters also serve as notice to the 21 rebels that they will be recalled from Parliament in terms of Section 129 (1) (k) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe."

He said the MDC-T had written to Parliament's presiding officers on Thursday last week informing them of the recall of the MPs.

"We understand that the Speaker is presently out of the country and we expect him to uphold the recall of the MPs upon his return. The 21 rebel MPs will very soon be formally recalled from Parliament and their seats will be declared vacant.

"These rebels belong to a little known political outfit that now calls itself the UMDC.

"Even if they contest the forthcoming by-elections under the banner of their little known party, UMDC, they have got a snowball's chance in hell of making it back to Parliament."

But MDC Renewal spokesperson, Mr Jacob Mafume dismissed the letters as fraudulent.

"Those are fake letters and Mwonzora is known for writing fake High Court judgments, a charge he has been in court for.

"Those letters were smuggled into MPs' pigeonholes to make it appear as if they were coming from Parliament, which is fraudulent," he said.

Mr Mafume said Mr Mwonzora attempted to copy how Zanu-PF handled the case of recalled MPs, Messrs Didymus Mutasa and Temba Mliswa.

The revolutionary party successfully recalled the duo last week after the Speaker ruled that the two no longer represented Zanu-PF's interests.

"But these are different cases and the Speaker has already given ruling on these matters twice.

"The fundamental difference is that there is a dispute of who MDC-T is and that dispute is subject of a court case, which they took to court themselves and withdrew on their own, meaning they had lost. They cannot then turn around and claim to have fired the MPs," he said.

Acting Clerk of Parliament, Mr Kennedy Chokuda confirmed letters had been brought to Parliament through unorthodox means.

"Any communication comes through the Clerk of Parliament.

"I never received any such letters and I never gave instruction to any officer of Parliament to put any such letters in the concerned members' pigeonholes.

"The correct position is that secretary to the MDC-T caucus is the one who was putting the letters in the pigeonholes but not the officers of Parliament. All communication that comes to Parliament is stamped.

"But the one that I saw which was brought by a member who was complaining had no stamp.

"So anything that comes without stamp of the office of the Clerk is not official," said Mr Chokuda.

The MPs to be recalled are: Tendai Biti (Harare East), Willias Madzimure (Kambuzuma), Lucia Matibenga (Kuwadzana East), Paul Madzore (Glen View), Reggie Moyo (Luveve), Solomon Madzore (Dzivarasekwa), Bekithemba Nyathi (Mpopoma Pelandaba), Albert Mhlanga (Pumula), Moses Manyengavana (Highfield West), Samuel Sipepa Nkomo (Lobengula), Roseline Nkomo (Tsholotsho North), Settlement Chikwinya (Mbizo), Gorden Moyo (Makokoba) and Anorld Tsunga (Chikanga Dangamvura).

Those who got in through proportional representation are; Evelyn Masaiti, Judith Muzhavazhe and Gladys Mathe, while in Senate, Sekai Holland (Chizhanje), Rorana Muchihwa (Chikomo), Watchy Sibanda (Matabeleland South) and Patrick Chitaka (Manicaland), will be kicked out.