via MDC-T chair rages at ‘disgraceful’ rebel councillors | SW Radio Africa by Tichaona Sibanda 22 October 2013
Four rebel MDC-T councillors in Mutare on Monday produced yet another shock move when they voted for ZANU PF councillors to chair the powerful committee portfolios.
The councillors, Farai Bhiza, Pamela Mutare, Richard Mupfura and Mayor Tatenda Nhamarare were suspended by the MDC-T last month for colluding to vote for a deputy mayor of the city from ZANU PF.
Their actions on Monday to openly elect ZANU PF committee chairpersons for departments ahead of their preferred party councillors has reignited calls for the party to expel them forthwith for bringing the party into disrepute.
Julius Magarangoma, the MDC-T provincial chairman for Manicaland said he’s determined to push for the expulsion of the four councillors from the party.
Following the elections in July, the MDC-T won 13 council seats to ZANU PF’s six. However, in recent weeks, the rebel MDC-T councillors have boosted ZANU PF numbers to ten, a scenario which helped the ruling party win the portfolio chairs for Finance, Audit and General Purpose.
The rebel councillors, with help from ZANU PF votes captured the Public Works (Mupfura), Procurement (Bhiza) and Environment (Mutare) portfolios. The three were not the preferred party candidates.
Magarangoma told SW Radio Africa’s weekly program Speak Out Padare that there is no institution that can survive without discipline, adding that ZANU PF’s Minister Ignatius Chombo can “have them” if he wants.
“If Chombo wants them he can have them. I have no problem with the council or standing committee’s move to expel them if it is a matter of indiscipline. If a member misbehaves, the party’s top leadership should take action,” he said.
Magarangoma said each political party has well laid out rules and regulations, which members are expected to adhere to irrespective of their divergent views.
Minister Chombo recently said he would block attempts by the MDC-T to fire its councillors who have been defying party orders to vote for ZANU PF mayoral candidates in last month’s mayoral elections.
“The sooner they’re out of the MDC-T the better because they can pretend to represent the party when they openly defy instructions. They were compromised when they accepted money and stands to sellout against the party,” Magarangoma said.
He added: “Their problem is that they cannot go against ZANU PF now because they got paid do what they are doing now. So they’re in a corner and the best for them is to join ZANU PF and leave us to reorganize our structures.”
COMMENTS
DONT EMBARRASS YOURSELVES MDC T!
Trying to survive in Zimbabwe is hard but being a sell out must be even harder.
Why oh why has it taken the MDC Standing Committee so long to get rid of these rebels and who has been protecting them in these higher MDC offices?
That’s DEMOCRACY. Leave them alone, they are exercising freedom of association. It’s not about permanent friends here, but permanent interests.
How easy is it to bribe a zimbabwean?.
Shame ,shame , well because it is today with they democracy they might be safe , but time is coming where by we not even going to allow this kind of behaviour , thosedays will be back soon hwereby they will have their ears, mouths, nose etc cut off.
Its right to expell them ,period!!!!!!!!!!!!!.When Mavhaire called for Mugabe to go in 2000 he was suspended from the party.Only Edison Zvobgo saved him from expulsion.Whats so special about these sellouts? MDC is rich of natural talent at grassroots and finding their replacements does not take seconds.Thats a spat on people”s faces who denied these thugs legitimacy to further throw the country into the doldrums.
Why are they taking time to fire sell outs.they must be recalled its Mdc’s fault they were suppose to put a close in the constitution after the Chitungwiza issue wth the last counillors.Fire them.
MDC ur going down to the drain,instead of addressing the underlying crises,ur treating the symptoms of illdiscipline.I want to remind u about the spectacular achievement of the party since its inception in 1999 against odds of rigging by. Zanu PF.Let me tell u ,u hv sold the souls of ur supporter by joining the coalitio govt,by deploying executive into cabinet leaving the party leaders and ur supporters being vulnerable to wolves.
Stop fooling the poor about scapegoate of voterigging,where were u when zanupf was rigging,u were part of govt, U were asleep cause of gravitrain
What else do u want them to do to tell you they’re zpf? U want them to go on top of roofs or mountains and shout themselves hoarse they defected?