23 Matabeleland Councillors Quit Mutambara’s MDC
BULAWAYO -Zimbabwean Deputy Premier Arthur Mutambara’s MDC formation on Saturday suffered a body blow when the party’s entire district executive and councillors crossed the floor to join the main MDC group led by Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, in protest against the suspension of a legislator from the party.
The Nkayi district leadership and all 23 councillors resolved, at a meeting to examine the circumstances surrounding the suspension of Nkayi South Member of Parliamemnt Abdenico Bhebhe to leave Mutambara’s faction.
“We have decided not to have anything to do with Mutambara because he failed to tell us why we should denounce Bhebhe,” said councillor Kufakwezwe Ncube.
Nkayi Senator Robert Rabson Makhula also attended the four-hour long meeting.
MDC-M secretary-general Welshman Ncube had directed that the party’s district leadership should sideline Bhebhe until his suspension from the party was lifted.
“This is to advise that Mr (Abdenico) Bhebhe was suspended on 9 May 2009 by the party’s national disciplinary committee from being a member of the party,” Ncube wrote in a letter to the party’s district executive dated May 14.
“Therefore, until such a time that his suspension is lifted or deposed of in whatever manner by the national disciplinary committee, he is suspended from all activities to do with the party and should be excluded in all party activities.
“During his suspension he is to be treated as if he is not a member of the party. Please ensure that this information is communicated to all structures in your province, particularly those structures in the districts from which Hon Bhebhe comes from.’’
However, the councillors ignored the directive saying they would stand by Bhebhe until the leadership explained the charges against him.
Bhebhe is also the party’s Matabeleland North provincial chairman.
“If he is victimised they have also victimised us. We can’t remain loyal to a leadership which victimises its members and with that reason in mind the whole constituency and district leadership has crossed the floor to MDC-T led by Prime Minister Tsvangirai,” said party district chairman Jabulani Manqonda Ncube.
Mutambara, a brilliant robotics professor, became the president of the smaller wing of Zimbabwe’s Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) party after it split in 2005 into two rival factions with the larger group led by Tsvangirai. — ZimOnline
Posted by Raymond Mhaka
on June 8, 2009. Filed under Local News,Main Headline.
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