The Speaker of the National Assembly on Tuesday announced that MDC Alliance MPs Prosper Mutseyami, Thabitha Khumalo and Chalton Hwende were no longer Members of Parliament following their recall by the MDC-T.
This was revealed by the Deputy Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services, Energy Mutodi. He said:
Hon Mutseyami, Khumalo & Chalton Hwende are no longer Members of Parliament following a recall by their party MDCT.
His Excellency President ED Mnangagwa will proclaim by-elections dates for the affected Constituencies.
The legislators were elected under the banner of the MDC Alliance, a coalition of opposition parties that contested the 2018 harmonised elections. They were seconded to the Alliance by the MDC-T which has recalled them from Parliament.
The MDC Alliance is expected to resist the recall of its MPs since they were elected on its ticket rather than the MDC-T.
The Thokozani Khupe-led party fielded its candidates in the 2018 harmonised elections but lost dismally.
However, following a recent ruling by the Supreme Court that Khupe was the legitimate MDC-T acting president since the death of Morgan Tsvangirai in 2018, the party has claimed all MDC Alliance MPs, saying it was part of the coalition when it was formed in ahead of the elections
The Supreme court ruling is argued to be moot
The ruling is argued to be moot, as it is not enforceable due to a series of events that have happened since 2014. Khupe’s term as Vice President, Mwonzora’s Secretary General position among other positions would have expired. Morgen Komichi was also not the chairperson of the party but Lovemore Moyo.
Chamisa went into elections as MDC Alliance President, and the rest of the MPs were elected under the the MDC Alliance party as Mwonzora admitted.
Does Khupe has power to recall MDC Alliance?
The controversial judgement which the MDC Alliance feels is Zanu PF’s way of suppressing the opposition, is not clear on whether the Acting President Thokozani Khupe has the power to recall the MDC Alliance MPs.
Zimbabweans have reacted shockingly to the news that MDC Alliance MPs Hwende, Khumalo, Mutseyami have been fired from parliament.
