MDC-T suspends Kay

via MDC-T suspends Kay | The Zimbabwean by Nelson Sibanda 08.10.13

MDC-T yesterday suspended former Marondera Central Member of Parliament, Iain Kay, from the party for supporting Roy Bennett’s calls for MDC-T leadership renewal, following the recent heavy election defeat suffered by the party at the hands of Zanu (PF) and President Robert Mugabe in the July 31 general elections.

Iain Kay was yesterday summoned to an MDC-T Mashonaland East Provincial meeting held at Harvest House, to either confirm or deny media reports that he was of the opinion that there should be party leadership renewal.

Kay was reportedly briefly quizzed before being kicked out of the meeting.

According to media reports carried in one of the Zimbabwe daily papers, Kay likened the MDC-T election scenario to a soccer game where the coach must be changed if the team kept losing, apparently referring to Tsvangirai who lost to President Robert in 2002, 2008 and this year under controversial circumstances and failed to dislodge Zanu (PF).

“There is need to plan ahead before the ship sinks and if there is need to change the coach, let it be,” Kay reportedly said.

MDC-T Mashonaland East Provincial Spokesperson, Graham Nyahanda, confirmed Kay’s suspension, saying the decision was adopted pending investigations and a disciplinary hearing.

“Kay admitted speaking in support of Bennett’s calls for leadership change. These are congress issues which according to party policy and constitution cannot be discussed at this stage,” Nyahada told The Zimbabwean in a telephone interview.

Nyahada said MDC-T was keen to establish the motive behind Kay’s utterances about congress issues this early. He said this was an issue to do with the party code of conduct.

Kay is expected to be brought before a disciplinary hearing within the next two weeks.

Asked by The Zimbabwean if there was any difference between MDC-T and Zanu (PF) regarding suppression of freedom of expression, Nyahada said: “This has nothing to do with whether we behave like Zanu (PF) or not.”

Kay’s suspension attracted mixed reactions from the public, the majority of whom expressed disappointment at ‘tyrannical’ symptoms in MDC-T politics.

Former Marondera mayor, Farai Nyandoro, who was suspended from MDC-T by the Pinniel Denga led provincial executive accused the party leadership of retributive witch hunts.

Nyandoro said from the newspaper article in question, Kay did not say Tsvangirai should go, but simply expressed the need for leadership change at all levels where necessary.

He said Denga was supposed to recluse himself from chairing a meeting deciding Kay’s fate, since he was an interested party.

“Denga has been Kay’s rival ever since they contested each other at the 2012 Provincial Electoral Congress held at Harvest House,” said Nyandoro.

 

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