Panafrican News Agency

Zimbabwe: MDC T faction recalls Harare Mayor, five other councillors

Harare, Zimbabwe (PANA) – The Secretary General of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) T faction, Douglas Mwonzora, has recalled Harare’s Mayor, Hebert Gomba, and five other councillors who are members of Zimbabwe's main opposition party, MDC Alliance.

In March, Zimbabwe’s Supreme Court ruled that MDC T leader, Thokozani Khupe, was the legitimate leader of the entire party. As such, Khupe has been making recalls of several members of parliament and councilors, a move experts say is to cripple MDC Alliance, led by Nelson Chamisa.

Khupe and her MDC T faction have been accused by several opposition of being aligned to Zimbabwe President Emmerson Mnangagwa and his ruling party, ZANU PF.

“We hereby notify your office in terms of section 278 as read with section 129 of the constitution, we hereby declare that the following councillors have ceased to belong to the Movement for Democratic Change which is a member of the Movement for Democratic Alliance which was formed in terms of the constitutive agreement a copy of which is attached hereto,” said Mwonzora, in a letter addressed to the Minister of Local Government and Public Works, July Moyo, dated August 14, 2020.

The councillors are Gomba who was the representative of Harare’s Ward 27, Hammy Madzingira (Ward 10), Kudzai Kadzombe (Ward 41), Gaudencia Marere (Ward 32), Costa Mande (Ward 24), and Happymore Gotora (Ward 7).

“In terms of the Agreement, seven political parties entered into a pre-election agreement known as the Composite Political Agreement for purposes of contesting the 2018 elections,” Mwonzora said.

“In terms of the Agreement, the member parties retained their individual identities. They also chose their own candidates under their respective quotas.”

The recall comes as just last week, High Court Judge Justice Pisirai Kwenda upheld the MDC T’s Khupe's decision to recall 12 MDC Alliance members of parliament as it was in accordance with the March 31 Supreme Court ruling.

The ruling was after the 12 MPs and MDC Alliance approached the High Court seeking an interim order to reverse the recalls.

The 12 MPS who had approached the court challenging Khupe’s recall are, Bacilia Majaya, Mucharairwa Mugidho, Annah Nyambo and Nomathemba Ndhlovu and Senators Gideon Shoko, Helen Zivira, Tapfumanei Wunganai, Meliwe Phuti, Phylis Ndlovu, Herbert Sinamapande, Keresencia Chabuka, and Siphiwa Ncube.

-0- PANA TZ/VAO 20Aug2020