Former co-Home Affairs minister Theresa Makone is among the 12 MPs who are expected to be recalled from Parliament tomorrow for taking sides with a camp of the MDC led by Nelson Chamisa as the battle for the opposition party’s control intensifies.
This comes as High Court Judge Justice Tawanda Chitapi on Friday dismissed a court application filed by the MDC Alliance led by Chamisa seeking an order to stop Khupe’s MDC from recalling MPs.
The ruling paves way for Khupe to recall the legislators and even councillors.
According to a list seen by the Daily News, apart from Makone, senators Meliwe Phuthi (Matabeleland South) and Chabuka Keresencia (Manicaland), proportional representation MPs Mahlangu Sichelesile, (Bulawayo metropolitan province), Machirairwa Mugidho (Masvingo), Nyaradzai Mago (Masvingo), Nomathemba Ndlovu and Lindiwe Maphosa (both Matabeleland South) are among those in the line of fire.
Contacted for comment yesterday, Khupe’s spokesperson Khaliphani Phugeni referred questions to party secretary-general Douglas Mwonzora, saying it was an administrative matter.
“Only the secretary-general would be in the know about that. It is an administrative matter that I cannot respond to,” Phugeni said.
Mwonzora was not immediately available for comment as his mobile number was not reachable.
Sources close to the goings-on in the party, however, said Khupe had drafted the list which was given to Mwonzora so he could write the letter of recall and deliver it to the National Assembly Speaker today.
“There is disagreement on the number of recalls with some leaders preferring not to go beyond 10; so the list could be reviewed to drop one or two names, but there will certainly be recalls on Tuesday (tomorrow) when Parliament sits.
“By end of day on Monday (today) the Speaker will have received the letter,” said the source.
Already, four MPs have been recalled from Parliament at the behest of Khupe’s leadership.
The four, Prosper Mutseyami (Chikanga-Dangamvura), Chalton Hwende (Kuwadzana East), Thabitha Khumalo (proportional representation) and Senator Lillian Timveous (Midlands), are staunch Chamisa backers.
The four were recalled at the behest of Khupe.
Khupe made the move after the Supreme Court ruled that she was the legitimate leader of the opposition MDC-T party and nullified everything that had been done by Chamisa’s leadership.
The Supreme Court also ruled that the opposition should hold an elective congress to elect a new leader of the party using the structures that existed in 2014.
