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Mashudu Netsianda, Senior Reporter
MDC Alliance MPs who were recently recalled after they ceased to represent their political party in the House have had their diplomatic passports withdrawn by Parliament.

The MDC-T led by Dr Thokozani Khupe recently recalled 21 MPs and senators it nominated to contest for seats that they later won in 2018 under MDC-Alliance, which was an electoral pact.

Of the 21 legislators that have been recalled, nine are senators while 12 are National Assembly representatives.

They were recalled by MDC-T after the Supreme Court found that changes to the MDC-T leadership since 2014 were against party rules, leaving Dr Khupe as the acting party leader and other positions held by those in office in 2014.

They were all recalled in terms of a constitutional provision that declares seats held by members of the party that sponsored them in the last election become vacant if the party writes to the Speaker of Parliament and president of the Senate to declare the persons no long represent that party.

Clerk of Parliament, Mr Kennedy Chokuda yesterday wrote to all legislators that were recalled directing them to surrender their diplomatic passports and revert to ordinary travelling documents.

“Following your recall from Parliament in accordance with Section 129 (1)(k) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe you are therefore kindly requested to submit the diplomatic passport to the Registrar General ‘s Office

and retrieve your ordinary passport in accordance with the attendant conditions attached to the issuance of the document,” read a letter from Mr Chokuda.

He confirmed to Chronicle the latest development saying that withdrawal of diplomatic passport was a legal procedure and not prejudicial to the affected MPs.

“Members of Parliament get diplomatic passports on the basis of their positions and the status goes with that passport to enable them to travel on Parliament business. However, when you cease to be an MP the circumstances that warranted you to get that passport are no longer there and therefore, you have to surrender the document,” he said.

“There is nothing that they are prejudiced of because what is simply requested from them is to surrender the diplomatic passport and get back their ordinary passports from the Registrar-General’s Office and still be able to travel.”— @mashnets