MDC Alliance co-vice president Welshman Ncube has described as “rebellious”, eight party MPs who on Tuesday defied a party directive to disengage from all parliamentary business and attended sittings.
A total of 11 MDC MPs and senators attended sittings in both the House Assembly and Senate at the Harare International Conference Centre (HICC).
They include senators Douglas Mwonzora, Morgen Komichi and Elias Mudzuri who have openly associated themselves with a rival faction of the main opposition and are, thus, not bound by the MDC Alliance’s directive for MPs to abandon the business of the house.
The decision to abandon parliament by the party came after Speaker Jacob Mudenda expelled four of its MPs recently on the advice of reinstated MDC-T secretary general Mwonzora.
The four MPs are; Charlton Hwende, Prosper Mutseyami, Lilian Timveous and Thabitha Khumalo.
In an interview with NewZimbabwe.com Tuesday, Ncube dismissed the few legislators who attended sitting as an insignificant number to warrant the conclusion the MDC Alliance was in disarray as suggested in some quarters.
Among the MPs who attended sitting in the House of Assembly is Winnie Kanguni, party legislator for Sunningdale.
“Only five senators other than Komichi, Mwonzora and Mudzuri who are the architects of what is happening attended the sitting and Sunningdale MP Winnie Kanguni was in the House of Assembly,” Ncube said.
“The issue is that there are some members who have decided to go by Mwonzora, Mudzuri, and by so doing, they have gone against MDC Alliance. If you say you are no longer loyal to the party under which you were elected, you will basically be bound by the whip of the party under whose ticket you were elected. Now you have the protection of Zanu PF.”
However, Komichi described MPs that attended sitting as “enlightened” before accusing MDC Alliance leadership of misinforming legislators to ensure they boycotted Parliament sitting.
He praised the senators and Kanguni for attending despite threats from the MDC Alliance.
“The MPs who attended sitting are enlightened and understood the court judgment as well as knowing that (Nelson) Chamisa was no longer the MDC-T president. They respect the rule of law. The order from Chamisa to maximise resistance has failed,” said Komichi.
The other five MDC Alliance senators that attended sitting are; Morgan Femai, Tichinani Mavetera, Christine Rambanepasi-Java, Violet Moeketsi, Jane Chifamba, Patrick Dube and Martha Muronzi.
According to Parliament’s Standing Rules and Regulations, an MP loses a seat after failing to attend Parliament sittings for 21 consecutive days.
The two Houses sat for less than 10 minutes before they adjourned to May 26. – Newzim
