via MPs endorse Tsvangirai – DailyNews Live by Chengetai Zvauya 1 MAY 2014
Seventy MPs yesterday pledged their loyalty to MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai, disassociating themselves from Tendai Biti and his co-conspirators who plotted to topple the opposition leader.
Tsvangirai held a parliamentary caucus with MDC legislators at Harvest House.
And out of 91 MDC MPs in Parliament, 70 turned up for the meeting, with 12 sending apologies but expressing support for the MDC leader.
At least nine MPs have pledged loyalty to Biti.
The meeting was chaired by Tsvangirai. The MDC leader told the legislators that he would not countenance indiscipline in the party.
Douglas Mwonzora, the MDC spokesperson, said the meeting was called to update legislators on resolutions of the meetings of the MDC national executive and subsequently the party’s supreme decision-making body outside congress, the national council, that met at Harvest House on Tuesday, to deliberate on the state of the party.
“President Tsvangirai held an MPs’ caucus as he wanted to advise the legislators of the national council meeting held this week which expelled former secretary-general Tendai Biti and other eight MPs who held an illegal meeting at Mandel Training Centre,” Mwonzora told the Daily News yesterday.
“The caucus confirmed that Tsvangirai is in charge of the party and was the legitimate leader of the MDC who has the backing of the majority of the legislators. All of them who were present pledged to stand with Tsvangirai together with the entire party leadership in our political fight with the rebels that have been expelled from the party.”
Tsvangirai advised the MPs to inform party supporters in their constituencies countrywide on what has transpired and the decision of the party in booting out Biti and his team.
Legislators conspicuously absent at the meeting were Biti, Harare East; Solomon Madzore, Dzivaresekwa; Paul Madzore, Glen View South; Moses Manyengavana, Highfield West; Willas Madzimure, Kambuzuma; Samuel Sipepa Nkomo, Lobengula; Bekithemba Nyathi, Pelandaba-Mpopoma; Evelyn Masaiti, proportional representative; Watchy Sibanda, proportional representative; Settlement Chikwinya, Mbizo; and Reggie Moyo, Luveve — all of them loyal to Biti.
The nine MPs attended Biti’s meeting on Saturday and passed a vote of no confidence in Tsvangirai, calling on him and other MDC leaders to step down.
Tsvangirai briefed the 70 legislators that Biti had no right to protect the nine MPs from recall in Parliament as only the leader of the opposition in the house, MDC vice president Thokozani Khupe can make that call.
Mwonzora said the MPs were grateful to Tsvangirai. There was no dissenting voice, with all of them pledging loyalty to Tsvangirai and denouncing Biti and his team.
Even the 12 who were absent from the meeting pledged loyalty to Tsvangirai.
Acting secretary-general Tapiwa Mashakada read out names of the nine rebel MPs and said they had been summarily expelled in terms of Article 12 as read together with Article 5. 11. (A) of the MDC constitution.
Mwonzora said the MPs would be withdrawn from Parliament in line with section 129(1) (k) of the national Constitution. He said all the MDC MPs who participated in the Mandel meeting would be withdrawn from Parliament.
In a letter to Speaker of the National Assembly, Jacob Mudenda, Biti branded Tsvangirai a leader of a “fascist clique” that needed a court order to overturn the decision of his Saturday “national council meeting” which the Tsvangirai-led group sledged as “bogus.”
Biti said in his letter no one could recall the nine MPs.
“In this regard, I was instructed to inform you Honourable Speaker that: No one in the MDC other than the secretary-general has a right to write to you on any issue with respect to our Members of Parliament particularly in terms of Section 129 of the Constitution,” read Biti’s letter.
Mwonzora said Biti was wrong in his interpretation of the MDC constitution as he had no mandate to write to the Speaker seeking to protect himself and other MPs from recall.
“Biti, as a lawyer, is being dishonest as he knows the law and what the MDC constitution says,” Mwonzora told the Daily News.
“He is deliberately misleading the nation that only he has the right to write the letter to Speaker of Parliament as this should be done by our vice president Thokozani Khupe.”
COMMENTS
Articles 5.11A and 12 of the MDC constitution don’t allow for summary expulsion of members. Read it people! Why are these people behaving like ZANU PF? If Tsvangirai and his mates are happy to ride roughshod over their own constitution what comfort can we have that they will behave honourably if given responsibility for government?
So it is okay for Biti to ride roughshod over his party President. Mister you are fast asleep.
Nintalan What I don’t understand is why you are so worried about the way they are behaving Mfondini. All they need to do is leave the broke MDC and do their own thing. Talk about Biti exposing his family secrets to the enemy. Balla, read my friend. How many MP’S are with Biti and how many are with MT. ARE YOU PART OF THE APOLITICAL CREW?
No Jack I’m not with Apolitical. Hopefully I make a lot more sense!
I’m a huge supporter of Tsvangirai. He has shown incredible persistence and bravery fighting a horrible dictatorship. When he pulled out of the 2008 Presidential rerun to stop the bloodshed I cried at the nobility of his leadership. When the MDC joined the GNU I thought it was the wrong move politically, but respected Tsvangirai when he explained that they were doing it to save a crisis that was killing people and destroying the country. “What a Leader” I thought.
Come forward a few years and where is Morgan now? Fighting his own supporters because they are telling him truths he doesn’t want to hear.
As I’ve said in other posts Tsvangirai needs to climb down from his high horse. He needs to demonstrate the magnanimity that we all loved him for. He needs to show the leadership we know he is capable of.
@Nintalan, could you please elaborate on “Fighting his own supporters”. By supporters do you mean Mangoma telling him to step aside? That’s not on because there are procedures to be followed. Mangoma and his entourage are just one set of supporters and there are several others and that’s the reason why there is a need for a congress to choose leaders. The party cannot go on the whim of a small sub section of supporters.
What high horse? Parties around the world including the Conservative Party in England and Labor party in Australia allow the generality of supporters to choose the new leader. This is to avoid the scenario where people like Mangoma wanting their own opinions to prevail over others.
Granted there are people in MDC-T who no longer want MT as leader and that’s to be expected in every party and I have no problems with that. But procedures have to be followed and for me that shows good leadership. This can be in any party including Zanu PF.
How long before Mangoma wants Biti to move aside?
I realise what you are saying Tinomunamataishe and I’m not suggesting that Mangoma or Biti have behaved honourably, or even in the interests of the party. What concerns me is the way that Tsvangirai has responded, and the misinformation that has been presented on his behalf.
You mentioned Western democratic parties. They, like the MDC, have constitutions. They also have to deal with renegade MP’s and members from time to time. What doesn’t usually happen in Western democratic parties and is happening with the MDC is that the leader of the party is ignoring it’s constitution in the treatment of the renegades.
Why is that important? It is important because we have to know that a person who will hopefully one day have the responsibility of being President of Zimbabwe will abide by it’s constitution.
Please understand something here. MDC is not one person all these guys who are now blaming MT agreed on whatever the party did.Infact Biti and Mangoma were on the negotiating team so they are the ones who failed their leader and the nation.
Nantalan is Madzore!
If Tsvangirai is to be taken seriously and maintain the credibility he still has he should step aside at the next congress.
I remember Tendai Biti in the 2008 elections announcing Morgan Richard Tsvangirai as the winner of those elections and then going into the hiding.
“Biti to represent Dr. Gono in a case of corruption between Gono and Dr. Kereke”; Chinamasa said “there is nothing sinister about Biti representing Gono”. Akapihwa two chikens akashaya direction. I m sorry 4 madzorezs who have no brains of theirr own
Biti and his friends are just taking a road going nowhere and slowly they will do a Weilshman
What it is coming down to is a case of those who think they are academics now trying to show us that they know better.But, it is not about degrees it is about wisdom and compassion for the uneducated and poor in our society in other words we the people.As far as I know laywers are the biggest liars on earth so I would never vote for one.
Mahlaba
That is exactly the problem with your politics in Zim. Its always about going somewhere – whether right or wrong, it doesnt matter. What matters is popularity, not principles!
For now, this whole opposition politics fiasco is like farmers arguing over ownership of a dying horse.
None of this crop of would be presidents has yet to propose how they plan to prevent 2018 being a re-run of the last 3 elections. And we can safely assume ZANU PF plans to further “increase” its parliamentary majority in 2018.
leaders should be chosen by the pipo as Bob said. so congress is the answer. so let biti be there and try it. haalume
Mangoma can say what he wants ,he reckons Tsvangirai install fear for mps to be on his side,PATHETIC,he says the other mps will come his camp [utter rubbish]and they say they wont be at the congress,Sure if Mangoma was hired its time to give back the loot because the mission is impossible.
This is no surprise. Zim politics is never about principles; its about the hand that feeds you. You support the one that you think stands a better chance of winning so that you can be an MP or a Minister and eat – not the one who provides better and principled leadership.
Goand campaign and say we need people with principle and see hw many people wil vote for you or yr candidate.its a numbers game not principles,were have you seen principled politicians?? Politicians are the same.
All this happenings in the MDC-T are just frictions sharpening the swords. Come 2018 with or without MT as learder his camp will have 150 mps in parliament. History reveals that trend. Whats only needed now is to choose unweavering leaders at the Oct congress. I will be there