via Hlalo scoffs at ‘expulsion’, refuses to go – Sunday News Feb 14, 2016
Dumisani Sibanda Sunday News Correspondent
SENATOR Matson Hlalo has scoffed at his “expulsion” from the MDC-T describing it as a “nullity” and vowed that no-one will be able to “force” him out of the political organisation. The action stems from Sen Hlalo taking MDC-T to court in 2014 over the alleged imposition of Bulawayo Deputy Mayor Councillor Gift Banda, as the party’s Bulawayo provincial chairman. Sen Hlalo got a favourite court ruling which interdicted Clr Banda from assuming the position at the helm of the province.
MDC-T secretary- general Mr Douglas Mwonzora, wrote a letter to Sen Hlalo about two weeks ago informing him of the decision to “expel” him from the political organisation and also informed the Senate president Cde Edna Madzongwe that Sen Hlalo was being “re-called”.
But yesterday Sen Hlalo hit back maintaining the action by Mr Mwonzora was of no legal consequence and he will challenge it.
“Well, I am actually calling it a nullity,” he said. “It was a decision made by Mwonzora and Thokozani Khupe(MDC-T vice-president). What happened is that they came here on a mission to force people to accept(Councillor) Gift Banda as provincial chairman. But Banda was rejected by the people. When there were those cluster meetings recently Banda was never allowed to address. He was made to sit down. They wanted to impose him on the people.”
Sen Hlalo and Ms Khupe have a long standing power struggle. The “expelled” Senator said he took his party to court so that it could follow the set-out procedures and not impose people in positions of authority.
“This effort- of going to court- is not mine only. It’s an effort by all those who want to stand up against doing things unprocedurally and unconstitutionally. We are challenging all these things that have been done. There is a court decision and it still stands that Banda was disqualified. Why should I respect an order by some elements in the party when it ignores an order made by a competent court? The action by Mwonzora is a nullity. Bayadlala (They are joking).”
Sen Hlalo said MDC-T president Mr Morgan Tsvangirai should not allow Ms Khuphe to cause disunity in the party.
“She (Khupe) is the citadel of all these shenanigans in the party, the biggest impositionist,” he said.
Sen Hlalo was adamant that he would not be forced out of the party.
“I joined according to my free will and I will leave the party when I want to and no one will force me,” he said.
Efforts to get a comment from Ms Khuphe and Mr Mwonzora yesterday were fruitless.
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