(TALKZIMBABWE) MDC-T MP suspended for violence

MDC-T MP suspended for violence
Our reporter
Tue, 08 Dec 2009 01:59:00 +0000

MDC-T’s national executive has suspended Zengeza East Member of the House of Assembly Alexio Musundire from holding any party post for two years after they found him guilty of inciting violence. However, the national executive said he remained a Member of Parliament.

The national executive also fired its 20member Chitungwiza provincial executive led by Martin Magaya for — among several issues — "aiding corruption" in the local authority.

MDC-T spokesman Nelson Chamisa yesterday confirmed the suspensions and admitted there was "endemic corruption" in their Chitungwiza structures.

This is not the first time Masundire has been at the centre of controversy and is not the first time that the MDC-T party has disciplined Musundire.

In 2001, Masundire was involved in incidents of factional fighting within the original MDC party. He was implicated in the attack on the home of Job Sikhala, then MP for St Mary's.

Sikhala, at the time, alleged Tapiwa Mashakada, then MP for Hatfield, and Musundire, as the MDC chairman for Chitungwiza province, were behind the attack on his house.

Mashakada, Masundire, Sikhala and two other MDC MPs, Tafadzwa Musekiwa and the late Learnmore Jongwe, at the time were suspended from the national executive, as well as from their positions in the party.

The party also expelled Musundire from the party in 2003, but reinstated him and allowed him to run for parliament.

Musundire, at the time, was accused of causing divisions and destroying party structures ahead of urban council elections. The MDC disciplinary committee, chaired by the then opposition party’s vice president Gibson Sibanda found Musundire guilty of violating the party’s rules and regulations.

However, this week former Chitungwiza mayor Israel Marange and ex-councillor Rangarirai Mutingwende were also dismissed from the party and could no longer represent MDC-T in the municipality.

Marange was barred from party activities for five years while Mutingwende was sanctioned for two years.

"The Chitungwiza provincial executive is under investigation by the national leadership to ascertain the complicity and role of the province in all the shenanigans in council," Chamisa said.

Reports indicate that members of the provincial executive benefited from the unprocedural sale and cessation of stands and other immovable property.

On Musundire, Chamisa said he remained the party’s legislator in the House of Assembly, despite the suspension.

"He will not hold any post in the province. He is accused of inciting violence and instability in the province," he said.

Chamisa said Clr Marange and Clr Mutingwende were no longer representatives of the party in council.

"We have made decisions as MDC-T after we were concerned about endemic corruption in general, mischief and misconduct in the handling of council affairs in Chitungwiza," he said.

He said Clr Marange and Clr Mutingwende had disregarded and subverted standing rules and procedures in the discharge and management of council business.

"It is for this reason that Clr Marange and Clr Mutingwende were expelled from the party and prohibited from participating in party activities," he said.

The MDC-T party has always denied allegations of violence by its members, especially Musundire.