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Nduduzo Tshuma Political Editor
CONFUSION surrounds a resolution by the MDC-T national council last month to expel Senator Matson Hlalo from the party for allegedly bringing the name of the troubled organisation into disrepute.

It has emerged that more than 30 days after the party made a resolution, Hlalo is yet to be handed any documentation informing him of the resolution.

The party’s spokesperson, Obert Gutu, last month confirmed that the party had passed a resolution to expel Hlalo indicating that some constitutional process would be followed afterwards.

Insiders at the time said the processes included Hlalo being given 30 days to appeal against the resolution to a committee set by MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirai.

Yesterday, the MDC-T spokesperson insisted that Hlalo’s expulsion resolution still stands saying, “We’re a party that follows the constitutional requirements and so everything that we do or will be done within the party, is in accordance with the party’s constitution.

“It may seem long overdue now but we’re following the constitutional rules.”

Hlalo was not reachable for comment yesterday but sources within the party told this paper that Hlalo was yet to be served with papers informing him of the decision.

“Nothing has been communicated to Hlalo yet. Party procedure requires that when such a resolution is passed, a letter is written to Hlalo informing him of the developments but nothing of that sort has been done,” said an MDC-T insider.

Tsvangirai, caught up in the party’s factional politics, reportedly allowed a faction aligned to his deputy Thokozani Khupe to push out Hlalo from the party in a purge of officials aligned to former organising secretary Nelson Chamisa.

Chamisa is accused by the Khupe grouping of leading a faction advocating for the holding of an extraordinary congress to push Tsvangirai from the helm of the fractious party ahead of the 2018 elections.

Hlalo was accused of defying a directive by the party to withdraw his court action challenging the election of political rival and Bulawayo deputy mayor Gift Banda as provincial chairperson in the party’s controversial provincial congress last year.

The provincial congress, held ahead of the party’s congress in October last year, was marred by chaos with Tsvangirai personally vetting delegates to take part in the process.

Meanwhile, the conflict resolution team set by Tsvangirai to attend to problems affecting the Bulawayo provincial structures is yet to visit the city despite indications weeks ago by the party that it was imminent.

Tsvangirai was accused of setting up the team to shift focus from the arbiter general’s report which reportedly fingered Khupe and organising secretary Abednico Bhebhe for causing divisions in the province.

Insiders said Tsvangirai had ignored the report that he commissioned early this year as he has chosen to align himself with the Khupe grouping in the face of Chamisa’s perceived threat to his position.