BULAWAYO – Zimbabwean Deputy Premier Arthur Mutambara’s Movement for Democratic Change (MDC-M) formation has finally laid out charges against five legislators who are part of seven officials suspended by the party two months ago. 

The MDC-M has written letters to the suspended members and says they will now be charged with urging party supporters to shift their allegiance from the party to the main MDC faction led by Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai (MDC-T).

The letters signed by the party’s national disciplinary committee chairperson, Lyson Mlambo, and dated June 16 said the conduct by the suspended party members violated Article 10.5 (b) of the party constitution.

“You addressed and urged party officials and supporters to shift their allegiance from the party to the MDC-T. This conduct is in violation of Article 10.5 (b) of the party constitution,” reads party of the letter written to one of the legislators facing disciplinary action.

The seven party members were expected to appear before the disciplinary committee last week on Saturday but the case was deferred after the suspended officials requested to attend the constitutional hearing meetings that were taking place last weekend.

Mlambo however said the disciplinary hearings will take place soon.

“The disciplinary hearing of the suspended members did not take place as planned since some of those that were expected to appear before the disciplinary committee requested time to attend the constitution making hearing meetings and the hearings will now take place at a future date and they (suspended officials) will be notified of the re-schedule once we have come up with that date,” Mlambo said.

The suspended officials are Abednico Bhebhe, the Member of Parliament for Nkayi South, Njabulo Mguni (Lupane East), Norman Mpofu (Bulilima East), Thandeka Mnkandla (Gwanda North) and Maxwell Dube (Tsholotsho South).

The other officials facing disciplinary action are the party’s national chairman for the youth assembly, Gift Nyandoro, national executive members, Alex Goosen and Job Sikhala.

Last week two of the suspended legislators attended a victory rally for Bhebhe that was also attended by MDC-T vice president Thokozani Khuphe and other MDC-T officials, raising speculation that the suspended members could be on their way to joining the MDC-T.

Early this month the MDC-M suffered a body blow when the party’s entire Nkayi district leadership and all 23 councillors crossed the floor to join the MDC-T, in protest against the suspension of Bhebhe.

Mutambara, a brilliant robotics professor, became the president of the smaller wing of Zimbabwe’s MDC party after it split in 2005 into two rival factions with the larger group led by Tsvangirai. — ZimOnline

By Zimonline