(HERALD) Suspended MPs take MDC to task
Suspended MPs take MDC to taskHerald Reporter
THE MDC has come under fire from its suspended MPs and officials for failing to give them the specific allegations they were censured for.
Five legislators and officials who were summoned to appear before the party’s national disciplinary committee said it was surprising that the party was proceeding to convene a disciplinary hearing yet they had not been served with any allegations to enable them to prepare their defence.
Early this month, the MDC summoned five legislators and officials accusing them of engaging in conduct that brought the name of the party into disrepute.
They are Tsholotsho South Member of House of Assembly, Mr Maxwell Dube, Mr Thandeko Mnklandla (Gwanda North) Mr Abednico Bhebhe (Nkayi South), Mr Njabuliso Mguni (Lupane East) and Mr Norman Mpofu (Bulilima East).
Also suspended are the party’s secretary for defence Mr Job Sikhala, national youth chairperson Mr Gift Nyandoro and Matebeleland South provincial treasurer Mr Alex Goosen.
In an interview yesterday, MDC national disciplinary chairperson Mr Lyson Mlambo said preparations to convene the hearings had been completed.
"We expect to complete the whole disciplinary process in the next two weeks which is well within the stipulated six months required by the party’s constitution," said Mr Mlambo.
Asked if his committee had served the officials with the charge sheets and allegations, Mr Mlambo said:
"The summary of allegations were contained in the letters we served them when we notified them of our intention to charge them."
Responding to the decision by the disciplinary committee that they were through with preparing the papers charging the legislators, the MPs said they were shocked by the attitude being shown by their superiors.
"Putting of logistics in place should include serving us with the necessary papers, so that we can prepare our defence as well. They are busy preparing their papers to charge us yet they have not given us anything to enable us to prepare, it seems they want to ambush us," said Mr Mpofu.
The MPs and officials were accused of moving around the country denouncing the party leadership, saying they had joined Zanu-PF leaving only one MDC formation that is led by Mr Morgan Tsvangirai.
But Mr Mpofu said he had only heard about the allegations in the media.
"I am not even able to move around in the country, let alone the constituency because I do not have a car. I only got a vehicle from the central bank last week and convened my first constituency meeting last Saturday," he said.
Mr Bhebhe also lashed out at the party’s leadership for failing to furnish them with the allegations.
"I have only heard about the allegations I am facing in the media and other quarters. It’s a travesty of justice to continue keeping us in the dark about the real allegations we are facing. How are we expected to prepare our defence," asked Mr Bhebhe.
All the party members except Mr Sikhala have denied the allegations.
Under normal circumstances, they would be a by-election should the party finally expel the legislators.
But according to the Global Political Agreement signed by Zanu-PF and the two MDC formations, Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara’s candidates would have to fight it out with other smaller political parties in a by-election as the parties to the GPA agreed not to stand against each other in a by-election.
One of the MPs said they suspected that they were being victimised for failing to comply with the party line when they did not vote for the party candidate, Mr Paul Themba Nyathi, in the election to choose the Speaker of the House of Assembly.
Mr Nyathi lost to Mr Lovemore Moyo of the MDCT in a voting pattern that showed that some legislators from the MDC had voted for Mr Moyo.
posted by MrK @ 4:42 PM
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