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Christopher Mutsvangwa

Zvamaida Murwira Harare Bureau
Norton MP, Mr Christopher Mutsvangwa was yesterday expelled from Parliament after Zanu-PF notified Speaker of the National Assembly Advocate Jacob Mudenda of its decision to fire him from the revolutionary party.

Acting Speaker of the National Assembly Cde William Mutomba told the National Assembly that the Speaker had received a letter from Zanu-PF informing him that Mr Mutsvangwa had ceased to belong to that political party.

Cde Mutomba said following a letter from Zanu-PF, section 129 of the Constitution would apply in determining Mr Mutsvangwa’s parliamentary seat.

Mr Mutsvangwa was not in the Chamber when the announcement was made.

Section 129 (k) of the Constitution states as follows: “The seat of a Member of Parliament becomes vacant if the member has ceased to belong to the political party of which he or she was a member when elected to Parliament and the political party concerned by written notice to the Speaker or the President of the Senate, as the case may be, has declared that the Member has ceased to belong to it.”

“Accordingly the necessary administrative measures will be taken to inform His Excellency President Mugabe and the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission of the existence of a vacancy in terms of the Electoral Act,” said Cde Mutomba.

The expulsion of Mr Mutsvangwa from Parliament would pave way for a by-election in Norton constituency.

This came after the Politburo upheld recommendations by Zanu-PF disciplinary appeals and review committee of the Central Committee chaired by Vice President Phelekezela Mphoko to fire the outspoken politician for being unrepentant after he was suspended from the party for three years.

In a letter to Ambassador Mutsvangwa, a fortnight ago, Zanu-PF Secretary for Administration Cde Ignatious Chombo said the party had resolved to expel the Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans’ Association chairperson because he had remained unrepentant.

“Having gone through your appeal, the committee found that you were neither apologetic nor remorseful in your behaviour. You continued to denigrate senior party leaders, bringing Zanu- PF into disrepute.

“Your actions and utterances violated the amended Zanu-PF Constitution Article 28, Section 262 read in conjunction with Article 3 Section 21. Leading to our expulsion,” the letter read in part.

Zanu-PF is expected to retain the seat after the main opposition political party, the MDC-T decided to boycott all by-elections claiming that the electoral playing field was not even.

In a related matter MDC-T MPs caused a scene in the National Assembly yesterday when they rose to greet newly appointed Vice President and Warren Park representative Engineer Elias Mudzuri when he walked into the Chamber.

This prompted Buhera South MP Cde Joseph Chinotimba (Zanu-PF) to question the gesture and if the opposition legislators were not attempting to turn the House into their party house.

MDC-T leader Mr Morgan Tsvangirai appointed Eng Mudzuri and another national executive member Advocate Nelson Chamisa leaving the party with three Vice Presidents together with Ms Thokozani Khupe.

The appointment has, however, created disgruntlement from some party members who said the elevation did not only violate the party’s constitution which provides that such posts be elected directly from Congress but wondered why he would bring people through the back door who were rejected by the party’s Congress.

Mr Tsvangirai made the appointment ostensibly to ease political pressure after he was diagnosed of colon cancer.