The Minister of State in the Deputy Prime Ministers Arthur Mutambara’s Office who doubles up as the MDC-Mutambara faction’s Vice President, has legally ceased to be a minister.

Sibanda’s stay as minister expired on 19 May 2009 as the Zimbabwean constitution provides that a cabinet post can only be held by a member of parliament and if the appointed minister is not an MP, a parliamentary seat must be found within three months,his party exhausted its allocations when it used up its non-constituency seats.

The two senatorial seats were given to party secretary Welshman Ncube and Priscilla Misihairabwi-Mushonga, the deputy secretary general, to enable them to assume ministerial positions.

A parliamentary seat was given to Deputy Prime Mutambara, leaving Sibanda, appointed a Minister in Mutambara’s Office, in a quandary.

An MDC insider has dismissed earlier reports by MDC-M official that the three principals had agreed to create an extra Senate seat just to accommodate the MDC-M Deputy President,a move that requires amending the Constitution before the 19th May deadline – which has since passed.

Last week Prime Minister Tsvangirai said Sibanda ‘s issue was up to his party telling journalists at a press conference in Harare that his deputy Mutambara had assured the other two principals that the MDC-M would find Sibanda a seat.

“We have been assured by Deputy Prime Minister Mutambara that they will find Minister Sibanda a seat but I do not know where,” said Tsvangirai.