DARING MDC legislators on Tuesday openly revolted against
the Nelson Chamisa-led MDC faction’s directive to disengage from parliamentary
business after attending a portfolio committee meeting, as factional wars in
the main opposition party took a new twist.
This came a day after hordes of MPs roundly rejected
overtures by the faction to boycott parliamentary business in protest to the
recall last week of four legislators by the Thokozani Khupe-led group
temporarily in charge of the MDC following a recent Supreme Court ruling.
In an interview with the Daily News, Moyo and Tekeshe
confirmed defying their party directive and insisted they would not disengage
from Parliament because there was no consultation when the decision was reached
by Chamisa and his allies.
“The issue is that we are just not getting each other. We
have different views. What is important is that we should come together and
decide what to do next. People are allowed to express their views and then move
on. I went to Parliament on (Tuesday) because we had not finished debate on the
issue of food assistance to the communities,” said Moyo. “The issue is that we
are disputing the decision by the party to tell us to disengage before they
consult. If they are saying MPs should disengage, everyone else should disengage,
a war is not fought in bits and pieces and after that we will come up with the
best way forward.
“I couldn’t miss the meeting because that meeting was
crucial, especially during this time of Covid-19 when people in our
constituencies are hungry. We have people who we lead who we should consult
first. Let us not put emotions everywhere.
“For the record, I voted for Chamisa and I will vote for
him again, but let us not use emotions here. The bigger question is: Why didn’t
we boycott Parliament when we said the presidential elections were rigged? Why
should we disengage from Parliament simply because four MPs have been recalled
from Parliament?”
On the other hand, Tekeshe said he would not follow the mob
in disengaging from Parliament as directed by the party, but would continue to
attend Parliament so as to represent the people who elected him to office.
“I am not afraid of anyone. We are sometimes moved by the
mob mentality, but I am not that type. I belong to the committee of social
welfare that is critical at this stage during Covid-19. Why are some people
angry? Isn’t it that democracy entails that we share ideas?
“Maybe my fellow MPs will see reason and join us in
Parliament to deliver to the people. This is the time when my constituency
needs me most. I am not going to disengage from parliamentary business, no,”
said Tekeshe.
Kanguni declined to
comment.
Some MPs who spoke on condition of anonymity in fear of
retribution from the Chamisa camp, told the Daily News that they were not ready
to follow the directive to boycott parliament as they risked being recalled by
the Khupe faction.
A meeting to gauge support for Chamisa that was held at the
Morgan Richard Tsvangirai House in Harare on Monday went awry as the majority
of the MPs castigated the party leadership for having reached the decision to
boycott Parliament without their input.
Audio recordings leaked to the Daily News show there was
aversion to Chamisa’s directive.
Deputy
secretary-general of the Chamisa camp Jameson Timba yesterday told the Daily
News that the party would decide the fate of the three MPs and others who dare
defy the directive when the national council meets.
“The reasons for their attendance can best be explained by
each individual MP. The consequences of defying a party directive will be
determined by the appropriate party organ, our national council.
“The date will be set after completion of our nationwide
consultations on the way forward,” said Timba.
All this comes after
the Supreme Court recently upheld last year’s ruling by the High Court, which
said Chamisa’s ascendancy to the leadership of the MDC had violated the
opposition party’s constitution.
In the unanimous judgment that was handed down by Supreme
Court judges Paddington Garwe, Bharat Patel and Antoinette Guvava, Chamisa’s
elevation to the MDC’s presidency was thus declared unconstitutional, and null
and void.
The ruling also automatically re-instated former MDC
secretary-general Douglas Mwonzora and ex-chairperson Morgen Komichi — who both
lost their positions at the party’s chaotic congress in Gweru last year — to
their previous positions.
And in addition to installing Khupe as interim party
president, it also ordered her to convene an extraordinary MDC congress to
elect a new leadership within three months.
Last week, the Khupe group successfully recalled Chalton
Hwende (Kuwadzana), Tabitha Khumalo (MDC proportional representative), Prosper
Mutseyami (Dangamvura) and Midlands senator Lillian Timveos, from Parliament,
as it flexed its muscles and demonstrated that it is fully in charge of the
beleaguered party for now.
To compound the problems facing MDC MPs, the government
emphasised at the weekend that it would withdraw all their benefits if they
“disengaged” from Parliament.
The minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs,
Ziyambi Ziyambi — who is also the leader of government business in Parliament —
said any attempts by the MDC legislators to withdraw from the august House
would also see them losing the vehicles that they acquired on loan.
The MDC has a total of 107 legislators who got
top-of-the-range vehicles, including Toyota Hiluxes worth between US$40 000 and
US$60 000.
Under their parliamentary privilege, they are supposed to
pay for them through a stop order for a period of five years.
Besides their average monthly salary of between $6 000 and
$8 000, the MPs are entitled to $700 sitting allowances per session, fuel
coupons, and lucrative foreign trips on parliamentary business.
Mwonzora has since
warned MPs who are siding with Chamisa that they risked losing their seats. Daily
News
Vamwe VAPANDUKI avo👇🏿— Hopewell Chin’ono (@daddyhope) May 14, 2020
This is why you should ONLY send conviction politicians to Parliament, NOT people who consider themselves before the citizens.
The main question is;
Who will stand with the PEOPLE?
Instead of standing with the starving people, they stand with the regime! pic.twitter.com/GENpsjbJ5e
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