The Minister of State in the Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara’s Office who doubles up as the MDC-Mutambara faction’s Vice President, is no longer a minister according to the clerk of Parliament Austin Zvoma.
The Clerk of Parliament Austin Zvoma told the local press this week that Sibanda was yet to be sworn in parliament and according to Zimbabwe’s laws one cannot be a minister if they are not a Member of Parliament.
“Sibanda is not a member of parliament and I have not been informed that there is a vacancy in any of the two houses,” Zvoma said. “For him to be a member he has to secure a seat.”, said Zvoma.
Sibanda was appointed as Minister of State for national healing alongside Chizhanje Senator Sen.Sekai Holland and ZANU PF chair John Nkomo,but his nomination 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. His party the less significant MDC faction 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.The two lost their re-elections parliamentary bids in last year’s elections.
A parliamentary seat was given to Deputy Prime Mutambara, leaving Sibanda, appointed a Minister in Mutambara’s Office, in a quandary.
Prime Minister Tsvangirai has since poured cold water on speculation that the three Leader would strike a deal to sucure Sibanda ’s post, 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.
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